#also also I can not state enough how much better this version of events are than what was in the game

[glompcat]

Episode 3 of The Last of Us was amazing.

[ktempestbradford]

I have been on a Willy Wonkified journey today and I need y'all to come with me

It started so innocently. Scrolling Google News I come across this article on Ars Technica:

At first glance I thought what happened was parents saw AI-generated images of an event their kids were at and became concerned, then realized it was fake. The reality? Oh so much better.

On Saturday, event organizers shut down a Glasgow-based "Willy's Chocolate Experience" after customers complained that the unofficial Wonka-inspired event, which took place in a sparsely decorated venue, did not match the lush AI-generated images listed on its official website.... According to Sky News, police were called to the event, and "advice was given."

Thing is, the people who paid to go were obviously not expecting exactly this:

But I can see how they'd be a bit pissed upon arriving to this:

It gets worse.

"Tempest, how could it possibly--"

source of this video that also includes this charming description:

Made up a villain called The Unknown — 'an evil chocolate maker who lives in the walls'

There is already a meme.

Oh yes, the Wish.com Oompa Loompa:

Who has already done an interview!

As bad (and hilarious) as this all is, I got curious about the company that put on this event. Did they somehow overreach? Did the actors they hired back out at the last minute? (Or after they saw the script...) Oddly enough, it doesn't seem so!

Given what I found when poking around I'm legit surprised there was an event at all. Cuz this outfit seems to be 100% a scam.

The website for this specific event is here and it has many AI generated images on it, as stated. I don't think anyone who bought tickets looked very closely at these images, otherwise they might have been concerned about how much Catgacating their children would be exposed to.

Yes, Catgacating. You know, CATgacating!

I personally don't think anyone should serve exarserdray flavored lollipops in public spaces given how many people are allergic to it. And the sweet teats might not have been age appropriate.

Though the Twilight Tunnel looks pretty cool:

I'm not sure that Dim Tight Twdrding is safe. I've also been warned that Vivue Sounds are in that weird frequency range that makes you poop your pants upon hearing them.

Yes, Virginia, these folks used an AI image generator for everything on the website and used Chat GPT for some of the text! From the FAQ:

Q: I cannot go on the available days. Will you have more dates in the future? A: Should there be capacity when you arrive, then you will be able to enter without any problems. In the event that this is not the case, we may ask you to wait a bit.

Fear not, for this question is asked again a few lines down and the answer makes more sense.

Curious about the events company behind this disaster, I took myself over to the homepage of House of Illuminati and I was not disappointed.

I would 100% trust these people to plan my wedding.

This abomination of a website is a badly edited WordPress blog filled with AI art and just enough blog posts to make the casual viewer think that it's a legit business for about 0.0004 seconds.

Their attention to detail is stunning, from how they left up the default first post every WP blog gets to how they didn't bother changing the name on several images, thus revealing where they came from. Like this one:

With the lovely and compact filename "DALL·E-2024-01-30-09.50.54-Imagine-a-scene-where-fantasy-and-reality-merge-seamlessly.-In-the-foreground-a-grand-interactive-gala-is-taking-place-filled-with-elegant-guests-i.png"

"Concept.png" came from the same AI generator that gets text almost, but not quiiiiiite right:

There are a suspicious number of .webp images in the uploads, which makes me think they either stole them from other sites where AI "art" was uploaded or they didn't want to pay for the hi-res versions of some and just grabbed the preview image.

The real fun came when I noticed this filename: Before-and-After-Eventologists-Transformation-Edgbaston-Cricket-Ground-1024x1024-1.jpg and decided to do a Google image search. Friends, you will be shocked to hear that the image in question, found on this post touting how they can transform a boring warehouse into a fun event space, was stolen from this actual event planner.

Even better, this weirdly grainy image?

From a post that claims to be about the preparations for a "Willy Wonka" experience (we'll get to this in a minute), is not only NOT an actual image of anyone preparing anything for Illuminati's event, it is stolen from a YouTube thumbnail that's been chopped to remove the name of the company that actually made this. Here's the video.

If you actually read the blog posts they're all copypasta or some AI generated crap. To the point where this seems like not a real business at all. There's very specific business information at the bottom, but nothing else seems real.

As I said, I'm kinda surprised they put on an event at all. This has, "And then they ran off with all our money!" written all over it. I'm perplexed.

And also wondering when the copyright lawyers are gonna start calling, because...

This post explicitly says they're putting together a "Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory Experience" complete with golden tickets.

Somewhere along the line someone must have wised up, because the actual event was called "Willys Chocolate Experience" (note the lack of apostrophe) and the script they handed to the actors about 10 minutes before they were supposed to "perform" was about a "Willy McDuff" and his chocolate factory.

As I was going through this madness with friends in a chat, one pointed out that it took very little prompting to get the free Chat GPT to spit out an event description and such very similar to all this while avoiding copyrighted phrases. But he couldn't figure out where the McDuff came from since it wasn't the type of thing GPT would usually spit out...

Until he altered the prompt to include it would be happening in Glasgow, Scotland.

You cannot make this stuff up.

But truly, honestly, I do not even understand why they didn't take the money and run. Clearly this was all set up to be a scam. A lazy, AI generated scam.

Everything from the website to the event images to the copy to the "script" to the names of things was either stolen or AI generated (aka stolen). Hell, I'd be looking for some poor Japanese visitor wandering the streets of Glasgow, confused, after being jacked for his mascot costume.

HE LIVES IN THE WALLS, Y'ALL.

[wekiaam]

2D NEWSIES: What I would change

I just realised I've been making fake concept art for a nonexistent animated Newsies adaptation for four years now. Over time, I've been getting so many ideas for this adaptation if it ever became real, I thought I would share them with you guys! This includes story changes, cut and additional songs and ideas for characters and style. I would love to know your thoughts on these!

When I started making concept art for "2dsies" as I came to be called, I intended for it to be based on the Broadway version and the Broadway version only. However, stories on stage differ a lot from stories told on screen, it just doesn't work the same way. I do still prefer the storyline of Broadway Newsies, but I think the best version would be a combination of the best parts of all different versions, plus some necessary changes. I would want Newsies to be a love letter to every production we've had, to everyone who made happen and every theatre kid who's been geeking out over it since 1992, while also being its own standalone movie that can be enjoyed by anybody. I am in no way an adequate screenwriter, these are just a few suggestions I have for a better story!

Story

Like I said, the story will be based mainly on the Broadway storyline, meaning we still have Artist Jack, Katherine, and most elements from the show that aren't in the movie. It will, however, be quite different from the show and the movie, and maybe add some more of the real events from the newsboy strike. There are still some details and scenes I would like to add and some I would remove completely.

- I like the history lesson opening from the movie, it gives people just enough background information on the real historical events the story is based on. I don't know if it should be Racetrack or Jack narrating, though.

- In Santa Fe (prologue), Crutchie mentions he's afraid the other boys will find out about his bad leg, even though they all literally know him as Crutchie, and it seems to be the first time Jack tells him about his dream of going to Santa Fe, even though they've clearly been best friends for a long time. It feels off, UNLESS they only just met, which is why I love @raggedy-albert 's theory so much. I would have the scene start off with them as kids, and have them grow up throughout the song.

- I want to add a scene in the beginning of Katherine at the New York Sun to establish her character and motivations, and possibly a little foreshadowing. Just an idea for a scene; she goes to the editor to let him read her story covering the trolley strike, but he reminds her of "her place" and that she's lucky enough to be in the position she's in and that she should go review a vaudeville or something. This would not only give her a similar motivation to the newsies, but also, if we're gonna bring the women's rights movement into the story let's do it right!

- Of course I'd also like to add more romantic interactions between Jack and Katherine, to make their relationship more believable. However, I don't think they should be a couple immediately after the finale, I was more thinking of an open ending to their relationship where Jack takes his first step to staying in New York by finally asking her out.

- Maybe add the actual scene where Jack and Davey visit Brooklyn instead of having them tell the other newsies what Spot said right before Seize the Day. Show don't tell, you know?

- A scene where Jack visits Crutchie at the refuge, similar to the one in the movie, but with the sadness Jack describes it with in the show. Again, show, don't tell. Show me how Jack visits the place of his nightmares again only to find his best friend in a worse state than ever and being unable to save him.

- Katherine punches Jack after the rally. Give it to me.

- Additional scene after Jack and Katherine's song after the rally where Jack formally apologizes to the newsies. Because in the show it just cuts from "omg he's a sellout *spits on the floor*" to "yay captain Jack is back" and it just doesn't sit right with me.

Songs

- There should be an entirely new Pulitzer song. The Bottom Line is good but by far the most skippable song on the cast recording, and The News Is Getting Better (the off broadway cut song) is a little Better but not quite the evil capitalist song we need.

- Swap Something to Believe In for When I See You Again. It's such a sweet song and I think it suits Jack and Katherine a lot better. It's much more "Neither of us know what tomorrow brings but when I'm with you I know we can change things for the better, even if it's scary but for now let's be here together and forget the world for a bit" instead of "I love you but I'm still gonna chase my cowboy dreams"

- Cut Letter From The Refuge, since my idea was to have this be a scene instead.

- Some lyric changes!

In Santa Fe: "Crutchie's callin' me, he's fine, just too damn slow"

In Once And For All: add this lyric from the movie, "Better to die than to crawl".

In Seize the Day: "Friends of the friendless seize the day, raise up the torch and light the way", not in the song but in the reprise where all the working children of the city gather before the finale.

Additional: "Still it seems like the dream of a boy, not a man", from The Truth About The Moon, a cut song from the movie that was supposed to be sung by Sarah. I don't know where I would put this lyric, but it could be said or sung by Jack as he realises what he's really looking for is not actually Santa Fe.

Characters:

- I want to add more girls to the background newsies, first of all.

- Sarah still won't do anything for the plot, but Davey and Les could mention that they have a sister. She's still canon to me.

- Speaking of Les, let's make him more likeable and also more helpful.

- Snyder has two scary dogs with him at all times.

- Just and idea, maybe Denton could still be a character if we replace Darcy with him, or maybe combine the two. Have him be Katherine's chaperone and friend formally, but also her reporter bestie. They could be a fun journalist duo!

Style

- The movie will still include the iconic choreography, which means it couldn't be fully 2D, but rather a mix between hand drawn and CGI.

-I would love for the backgrounds in the movie to be similar to impressionist and romantic art styles from the 19th century, to really sell how it's a story told from Jack's perspective. Especially his dream-like imaginations of Santa Fe would be brilliant in this style.

- I want to include a lot of weather foreshadowing. Rain right before Seize The Day and the sun breaking through when Davey starts singing. Mist surrounding Snyder and sudden darkness whenever he's near. A beautiful sunset when Jack and Katherine are alone on the rooftop. And of course, partly cloudy, clear by evening. It's such a cool way of visual storytelling when you have a plot that has no magic involved, like in most Disney movies.

- The real people characters' designs (Pulitzer, Hearst, Roosevelt) can be based on political cartoon caricature versions of themselves.

And lastly, quotes from the movie I liked that could be inspiring for the animated movie:

-"When I created the World..." "🙄" and "Where was I?" "You created the World, chief?"

- "No, we'll be just a bunch of angry kids with no money"

-"What, you couldn't stay away?" "Well I guess I can't be something I ain't." "A scab?" "No, smart."

Many of these ideas are still in development. Some might work, some may not, but I will be basing any future work I'll post on here on these ideas. I would love to see you guys  discuss and add on to these!

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for wanting to go to the same summer camp as my best friend and ignoring her after the ensuing conflict? (TLDR and why I might be the AH at the bottom)

(🌕🌕🌕🌕 <- so i can see this when it gets posted)

I (15NB at the time) and my friend "X" (16F) were very close friends when this took place. It's been a while, and I'm still not sure whether or not I'm in the wrong at all here.

Basically what happened is that X's mom had posted on social media about a mindfulness/meditation summer camp that X had attended last year, and she said something along the lines of "This camp is great and I encourage people to go!" She didn't mention that X was also attending this year. My mom saw the post and suggested I go to the camp. I thought it sounded interesting and I was pretty excited about it.

Later, X and I were texting and I told her that I was thinking about going to the camp. She told me she was going to the camp as well. I later realized she had told me about that before and I had completely forgotten about it. Then she said (verbatim) "I feel like a big part of the experience is to step out of your daily life, and for me that includes people in my everyday life, so I feel like it might take away from the experience if we both go." That really hurt me and I didn't really know what to say, so I sent her a nothingburger response and we didn't really talk for the rest of the day.

The next day, I texted X to tell her how hurt I was feeling over it, to which she responded by telling me she tried to say it in the nicest way possible and she didn't mean to hurt me. She also said that the mindfulness camp was very important to her and she wanted to use it as an "opportunity to better herself and make new friends", and she thought if I was there it would "change the dynamic". Fair enough, but why should I not get that same opportunity? She suggested I go to a version of the camp that was being held in a different state, which would've been a 10 hour drive or a plane flight and totally not feasible for my family. I told her that and she just told me that I should just fly there by myself (Very expensive and unsafe for me).

I told my mom about everything that happened, I was feeling hurt and awful over it, as I felt like I had overstepped by wanting to go to "X's" camp. My mom texted X's mom to see if she knew about it. X's mom began defending X's decision and told my mom that the camp was a religious camp (There was no mention of religion anywhere on the camp's website). X's mom also insinuated that I was lying about not knowing that X was going to the camp this year.

X and I have barely spoken since the event. I haven't really made any efforts to contact her again. She texted me a few times and I mostly sent her one-word replies, because interacting with her felt very awkward and I didn't know how to deal with it.

WHY I THINK I MIGHT BE THE AH:

X had mentioned (maybe multiple times) earlier that she was going to the camp that summer, which I had completely forgotten about.

I almost completely ghosted X after the incident and made no effort to repair our friendship.

TL;DR: I wanted to go to a mindfulness summer camp that my friend X had attended last year. I didn't know/forgot that she was going this year as well. She told me she didn't want me there because I would change the dynamic of the camp. I told her that hurt my feelings a lot; she semi-apologized. I pretty much ghosted X after everything happened because I didn't know how to deal with conflict very well.

What are these acronyms?

[notsosmug87]

Ive had this Au idea in my head for a lil while and after doing some work on it i have decided to share it with you guys.

I proudly present:

The fractured Jay Au

(Huge shoutout to the very talented @sketchalicious. not only was this drawing based off one of their own but they were also one of the biggest inspirations for this Au. Go check em out they make awesome stuff) After the ninja Recuse Jay, his entire mental state collapses from the stress of flashbacks and visions after which, he goes into a comatose state. The ninja must now enter his mind to help him wake up. There, They find not only Jay, but six different versions of him. all of which represent their own guilts and traumas as well as Jays own too. The Ninja (now separated) must fight the one that represents them most and try to get every Jay to accept themselves.

The ninja also find out about the events of skybound through this whole ordeal; In Nyas case, having to relive it while also seeing what Jay went through on the Misfortunes keep.

The idea is that, Out of every ninja Jay holds the most baggage but does not show it, instead keeping it hidden very deep in his brain and I’m tired of people pretending like he doesn’t 😔

I will now Explain them in detail. Starting with:

The chosen one "Guilt ridden"

Fun fact: According to an old blooper reel, Jay was originally gonna be the green ninja; But the writers changed it to lloyd for a better surprise. Doesn’t take away from the fact that Jay looks good in green however.

This Jay is supposed to be a Representation of Lloyd, more specifically The weight lloyd has on his shoulders. Having to be the savior of ninjago (now the merged realms) can take a toll on a person; Lloyd is also now a sensei in training which has not helped his mental state at all; eventually bound to snap one way or another. And at one point there will be a battle he cannot win no matter how hard he tries.

From jays side, TCO is supposed to be a representation of His thoughts about how he has failed Lloyd and the others on several occasions (Releasing aspherra, Prime empire, letting Nya die twice, etc.) and how he solely Blames himself for it. All his self doubts telling him he’ll never be good enough, Among other things, in the forms of Twisted/Tainted visions of the other ninja and his parents. Making him go insane and he eventually snaps, succumbing to the delusion that in order to ever be good enough for Anyone he has to take over being the green ninja. But deep down he knows that the others will always care about him no matter what.

Worst case Scenario (CC for short) “The Sacrifice"

This one’s design wasn’t based off anything too important, I just think that Kai would be the second Ninja to become Undead.

CC represents Kai’s inability to let others sacrifice for him. While Kai is a hero through and through and will do anything for his family, he’s also selfish in the way that he doesn’t want the others to do the same for him Always insisting that it should have been him instead. CC looks like someone who has sacrificed too much without letting others help them. (Bit of a stretch i know)

In terms of Jay, CC is supposed to represent Denial. His skeletal remains are the Result Of what happens to someone who thinks “it should have been me” over every situation, Someone more... Expendable. A repeating memory of Nya dying in his arms keeps playing in his head. Losing flesh and organs after sacrificing himself to Defeat the Overlord; His skeleton Gains a fraction of his power that keeps him alive. But in the end it does not matter because he couldn’t save the one person most important to him, Nya. Jay knows no matter how many “What if” Scenarios happen in his head, the past is in the past and he must look on to the future, but can’t bring himself to after the many losses he’s Endured.

Agent walker "left to rot"

Design of course was based off our very own amnesiac Jason Walker, The current Manager of the administrations realm of reassignment.

Agent Walker is Everything Zane Dreads about himself; Becoming Cold and mechanical with no emotion. Agent Walker is Essentially a repeat of the Ice emperor. A once heroic individual Who forgot themselves and Changed because of Evil influence. Zane dreaded being the ice emperor and does not want any of his family to go through what he went through. Unfortunately, Jay is already halfway there. while we do not know if Agent Walker is truly corrupt due to the administration, Jay is Very much morally Gray, As out of every Ninja his moral compass is the weakest.

Having severe abandonment issues, Agent Walker Represents Jays Fear of being Forgotten about by his family, Essentially becoming a memory. that fear is realized once he spends a long time in the administration and no one has found him yet. Hence the Tagline, “Left to rot”. Having everyone Move on without him (especially Nya) Hurts So Badly that He Forces himself to forgot about the others and hoping the pain will eventually go away. Jay of course knows that His family and Yang could never forget about him, But doubts plague his mind telling him otherwise.

The Infiltrator “No Destiny"

Based off the (now very official) Evil Jay Figure which was recently leaked. The shirt was too hard to get right for me, so I decided to use my own design for it.

The infiltrator, A Strange Figure Who wields lightning powers. Hired by lord Ras; The same person who Went for Coles second family. This adds insult to injury in terms of their friendship.

This Jay pulls the same type of act that Cole does in DotD; By Doing something as drastic as Teaming up with a person who he knows has bad intentions just to be recognized outside of his feats at the administration and to be able to freely use his powers.

Representing Coles guilt, This Jay Has cemented himself as an enemy to the ninja and no longer an ally Forcing The battle to be painful for the Ninja. Especially Cole. However this Jay is not tethered to his relationships with them and will not hold back against those who oppose his leader

(Note: Not much is known about Jays motives or really anything about his evil character in part 2. This part might be rewritten later once we get a more clear view of his character.)

The infiltrator Is a manifestation of Jays fears about him going rouge/ Evil, So far almost all of the ninja Have Gone through their Evil “phase” and eventually, Jay must walk down that path. He feels hopeless however as without his memories he feels trapped; fettered to always serving a higher power Having No destiny To achieve thus Staying evil indefinitely.

Jay of the storm "Shameful woes"

This Jays design was inspired by some of the Seabound Aus I’ve seen and read. Much like Nyas design, He has Semi-lightning shaped hair and Lightning related body marks all over. he looks like a painting to show his coping mechanism When Nya was gone; Which was painting Portraits of her and him to ease his pain.

This one’s quite simple, Even after Becoming human again, Nya still harbors guilt for what she caused her family to go through And how much her sacrifice meant to everybody in ninjago. This Jay is supposed to represent her feelings about the whole situation and showing her a different perspective; one where Jay sacrificed himself instead of her. Of course in this made up timeline, Jay thinks of his sacrifice as Meaningless compared to Nyas. Thinking that the team moves on very quickly from what happened (Yes even Nya) and it eventually gets swept under the rug.

Further from the truth, Nya tries to convince Jay that this would never be the case. her words fall on deaf ears however, as Jay continues to lament in his own self pity.

Jay of the storm Is the personification of his shame and worry about him being a bad partner and an even worse teammate; Thinking of himself as worthless and nothing more than a deadweight To his family and his Yang. He thinks this way due to his biggest mistakes and how they led to so many bad things happening. (Especially Nyas deaths.) “I wish I could sacrifice to you as much as you have for me.” Nya has done so much for him and he thinks that he has done nothing in return. So maybe sacrificing himself could make him seem all noble and heroic once and for all. But he knows that he has done incredible feats and cannot blame himself for everything bad that has happened in their lives.

Nya will always love him And He’ll always love her, no matter how much the universe wants to seperate them they'll find each other eventually.

??? “Fractured beyond repair”

This design was based off The common trope of an alternate version of someone being their own shadow.

The real Jay (or At least a part of him), hidden deep inside his own Brain. living in denial of himself and being incomplete as his Whole Soul and memory was split into 5 different pieces representing his Repressed Thoughts.

Black as ink with a texture of tar, This Jay Is barely humanlike. Shutting himself out from anyone or anything trying to interact with him preferring to Wish it all away instead of Trying to fix all the issues he has caused. They say that when the Other 5 Make amends and come to terms with themselves, he will be let out of his cage like a wild animal. for better or for worse? Well there’s no clear answer for that. (Codeword for if I plan to expand this and write an actual fan fic)

Thank you for reading my hyperfixiation. while i do think this Au could never work in canon, Its very fun to think about it as jay probably has the most repressed trauma of all the ninja. plus its an Au for a reason.

[holdontwstistakingovermymind]

MC's Neverending Sleep Overs

Hello I am back again. I decided to continue the little sleep over post. Make it big. This is like, before the relationship of Polyam!Mc. They aren't dating yet but it's flirtatious.

I hope you enjoyed! Idk how I feel about the flow, but I want to write a more platonic version and a more romantic version.

If you liked this and are able to, please consider contributing to my Ko-fi! No pressure though.

♡

In the beginning the dorm was a lot more empty than you felt comfortable with.

Yeah, sure, you liked your space. In fact, one could say you were ecstatic to learn you got to have your own space despite quite literally showing up out of no where. However, that's all you can actually keep up with in such a large dormitory.

Besides your room, the small bathroom you use, and the living area -all of which had seen better days- the rest of the house started off as a mystery to you. One you were a bit to scared to actually solve

(^This was mostly due to your fear of what you may find hidden behind the many doors of Ramshackle, as well as your desperate desire to avoid the ghosts at all costs.)

It didn't remain that way for very long though, as soon you were being joined by the first years of Heartslabyul, who were starting to be thrown out of their own dorm at an alarming rate.

Ace pretty much spent his first two weeks sleeping on the dorm's ratty old couch, sometimes having to fight Deuce for the position whenever the other began to rebel.

When Cater (or one of the Caters, you weren't ever too sure of who you were talking to at first) started showing up just to "check in" on the freshmen, you knew things had to change.

"Stop showing up at my dorm uninvited!"

No one actually acknowledges your rage, but you let it slide. There's a lot going on and honestly you're more concerned with learning potions then keeping Ace from stealing your good blankets.

And besides, with all the time you invested in making the tart for the dorm leader, be should be out of your hair soon enough, right?

That's what you were thinking, up until Riddle overblots.

In those moments you don't think you'll be making it back to the dorm period.

Fortunately you were wrong, but the event was so jarring that nightmare begin to haunt you everytime you drift off.

You quickly come to miss Ace and Deuce's presence.

And you learn quickly that they miss yours as well! Both for varying reasons, of course, but it quickly returns to that familiar state before Riddle's breakdown. One where you couldn't shake them even if you tried.

Cater comes by a lot more now too. At first he used to make up an excuse to stop by -then crash- but he gave up on that excuse rather quickly. He definitely sleeps in his dorm uniform half the time.

^Or at least, whatever he is wearing. Definitely the type to sleep in jeans whenever he's feeling too tired to get pajamas on

Trey visits with food (and Riddle, occasionally. He's still a little embarrassed about the whole rampage overblot thing) but doesn't find himself joining in the sleepover often.

When he does though he always makes everyone clean up their messes. What a king.

Jack is the next to join your merry band.

He doesn't often spend the night -only coming over when needed- and he's usually gone before you wake up.

He might be your favorite tbh.

(Around this time you also start to get the occasional visit from the tweels and Kalim. They never stay, but both parties are far too nosey to ignore such a large gathering)

It stays this way for a while whilst you attempt to sort out the whole issue with Leona.

Riddle only starts joining the crew after the whole savanaclaw incident.

This is mostly because his shame has kinda melted away since he's no longer the only one who has lost control. Also because Leona has no shame and immediately claims your couch afterwards. Rip.

From here it really just spirals.

The most common visitors are usually the first years.

Epel comes to escape Vil, Deuce and Ace have just decided your dorm is their home, and Jack tends to show up out of fear someone is going to do something stupid. He's usually right.

(Sebek is the odd man out here. He'll come over during the day but he's got a stick up his ass most the time.)

Rook and Vil do not sleep over. However, Rook will usually join in the morning to get (you) ready. Probably video chats with Vil the whole time. Epel is in hell.

Idia doesn't come over ever but Ortho does on occasion. You'd think people would be calmer with the android child around but for some reason that just creates more chaos.

Lilia has a habit of just sleeping places and it scares nearly everyone. Malleus finds it funny.

Crowley occasionally shows up to look for people because your dorm has become the Lost and Found for students.

Azul never comes into your room and has only stayed the the night maybe once or twice. Never at the same time as Leona though and he's usually incredibly nervous.

The tweels will come into your room and they will go through your stuff. They have no care whatsoever.

Everyone else is fairly respectful. But Pomefiore and Diasomnia are full of judgy brats that will subtly question your home. Thankv goodness most of them are not everyday visitors.

Jamil and Deuce seem like the type that will just start cleaning absentmindedly when they start to recognize some place as one they like to be in. Which you are incredibly thankful for. Deuce especially since he was not helpful at first.

Kalim always likes to try and make every night less of a sleep over and more of a slumber party. This is never good.

^ Reasons why: 1) Ruggie has been banned from playing Simon says because everytime he is Simon he makes people copy him, so that they lose. 2) Sebek always throws a hissy fit at the commotion whilst his emo dorm stands in the corner watching the chaos 3) Floyd has bitten someone during twister 4) MC has broken down crying at midnight multiple times because they just want to sleep and now the music club is doing karaoke.

But when everyone leaves for vacation, admittedly you do miss the chaos.

Oh well just gives Grim more room to bug you

[andreal831]

Elijah and the Red Door

Elijah Mikaelson's red door is metaphorical and people take it too literal sometimes.

Initially, it was a physical door from his human days where he first kissed Tatia and then inevitably laid her body after her death. Shortly after, the door became a representation of the hidden space in his mind that Esther created so he didn't have to live with the fact that he accidentally killed Tatia. It inadvertently became a place where Elijah hid away memories he couldn't handle remembering.

In Season 2, Esther forces these memories out of Elijah, making him remember Tatia's death and the rest of the memories he had hidden there. We only see two memories on the show come forward -- what he did to Tatia and to Aurora. The show doesn't tell us if any other secrets were kept there. But we do know that even before this Elijah remembers a lot of things he has done in the past that he regrets, such as leaving Aya behind, not preventing Klaus' curse, and Celeste's death. So it doesn't appear that he had a lot of hidden memories there. I think killing random people ranks under these events.

When Hayley goes behind the red door, I've seen a lot of people say this is a memory of his, however, I believe it merely represents the monster he is afraid of becoming but believes he is deep inside.

First, the timeline doesn't make sense from what we know of their life. The Mikaelsons are turned sometime in late 1001, we don't know how much time goes by between when they are turned and when they have to flee North America, however, the red door is not created until Tatia's death. Quickly after her death, Esther chains Klaus' wolf side, Klaus kills Esther, and then they have to flee North America. We next see them about 6 months later in Europe, having traded their Viking clothes for more peasant-like clothing. While it's possible they held on to their Viking fighting gear, we don't see it again.

Additionally, we see Elijah scold his brothers for not being careful with their killings. If Elijah had massacred a whole village and then forgotten, Kol and Klaus would have been quick to remind him. They wouldn't let Elijah get away with scolding them if he had been just as bad, if not worse. Potentially Elijah could have snuck off without them realizing, but it is clear from Kol and Finn that they have all stuck closely together. Also, "Red Door Elijah" is seen as being irrational. I don't think he would have cared to keep it a secret.

Finally, at the time Hayley goes in there, the memories have already been released. It is no longer the place where he keeps memories he fears.

So instead of what Hayley sees in his mind as a memory, I see it as the place where he kept his remaining fears locked away. He feared becoming a monster who had no remorse. He kept his fear of being a monster in the same place he had kept the memories of his most monstrous deeds. He was in Viking gear because he feared becoming his father by hurting the people he cared for in the name of power/strength.

I know people want it to be a true memory so they can say Elijah is worse than Klaus, but those actions don't make sense with his character. All vampires have the potential to become a "red door" version of themselves, but it is their desire to be better that separates them. Klaus allows himself to live as a remorseless vampire for a thousand years, while we see Elijah constantly struggling with his decisions and regrets. Yes, he does become apathetic to human life, but we still see him having some standards -- like stating he doesn't feed from children.

If Elijah truly was the monster behind the red door, we would have seen it when Hayley died in season 1 or 5, when Dhalia was nearly killing his whole family, when Celeste died, when he thought Klaus drowned his whole family, when Marcel or Lucein was upgraded and attacked him. There were so many opportunities for him to be angry/scared enough to lose control and even turn off his humanity (if that's possible) but he never did. Klaus teases him about it one of the few times we even see his vampire face because it is that rare for him to even lose that much control in a fight.

So no, I don't believe Elijah ever murdered an entire village just because. Do I think he is capable, yes. If he felt it would save his family, he would do it. And he likely left villages behind knowing Mikael would do just that. But with the timeline and the character of Elijah, I don't see him even losing control and doing that himself.

[gear-project]

BATTLE STANCE EVOLUTION: Part 1

I'm calling this "Part 1" because I plan on covering the other characters eventually in discussion, but just keep in mind Tumblr limits 10 images per blog post, so that's the main reason I'm doing this.

Sol Badguy: Initially he gripped the Fireseal with a reverse grip in a laid-back and lazy pose and mostly let his fists and feet do the fighting, but as time went on he built the large heavy blade weapon known as OutRage Mk. 2… we already know how large it gets when completely transformed, but by itself Sol likes to use a white tassel to help throw its heavy weight around. It's actually better at smashing things than simply cutting. In times past, Sol used a Concrete Slab, an Emergency-use Axe, and a Cogblade sword. Sol has also been known to dual wield weapons on rare occasion.

Ky Kiske: Ky's Hand and a Half stance once embodied the nobility of the Sacred Order of Holy Knights, and he even maintained that stance when wielding the massive ornamental blade Aquila (proof that he can wield heavy swords even with one hand)… Later, when the Thundersealed Sword regenerated itself from saving Dizzy, Ky adopted a more relaxed side-stance, but this relaxed stance hides just how flexible he really is in combat as he can cut down a person's ankles in an instant with Stun Dipper. In addition, motion he makes for Vapor Thrust now has two different motions… the Heavy version gains more height and Ky uses more force to launch his opponents. Ky has also alternated from several different leg-based attacks from Needle Spike (An overhead axe-kick in to a slash of his sword), Crescent Slash (a reverse flip in to an upward Slash), Greed Sever (his famous "Emerald Sword"), and finally Foudre Arc which uses the same arcing motion the original Needle Spike had, but can be enhanced during "Shock State". Else, Ky has far too many moves to really list here, to say how versatile he really is… most notable being Zerofied Chain, which is a magic spell that Ky can use to maneuver around his opponent much like Baiken's Kabari "Fishing Fly" technique.

Zato=ONE: Zato's original "back-facing stance" is based on Flamenco Dancers in Spanish tradition, allowing him to stomp and clap easily (which is how he currently trained Eddie to change actions mid-motion as a kind of Attack-Cancel). His current modern stance favors his dominant foot and the motions of his arms (which are used to form many of the shadow attacks he uses, similar to a genuine Shadow Puppet Show).

Millia Rage: Her initial stance put emphasis on her physical speed and flexibility, allowing her hips to sway in motion with the flicks of her hair. But as Angra grew in size and power, Millia has had to adjust her stance to accommodate the weight of her hair as a weapon. Now she can use the weight of her hair's attacks to propel her own body mid-motion for kicks and quick movements like Mirazh (her evolved form of the Zenten forward roll she once used). Most notable of her arsenal is the changes made to her multi-hitting Lust Shaker attack. Originally they were light flicks of attacks from the top of her head towards her opponent as a kind of anti-air move, but eventually she started using the move horizontally and leaned sideways in order to use her hair's power more effectively… they created a "Rose Crest" effect on Lust Shaker (in the GGX days as the Drafting Arts depicted it)… she would of course later develop Chroming Rose as a result of this and Longinus (a follow-up to Lust Shaker), but now the attack is effective enough to be used behind her hips without much effort compared to before (in early XX depictions though, it acted as protective Ivy around her body, like a hedge of thorns).

Chipp Zanuff: Chipp has grown a lot as a Ninja to say the least… early on, he would hold his hand and leading foot outwards and shift from front to back, later, he would sometimes wag his hand in a relaxed motion as if that was his natural battle stance… but since Strive's events, he has mastered Tsuyoshi's teachings and keeps a much tighter stance with his hands and fingers for use in various Jutsu techniques. Furthermore, it can be said that his Banki Messai has changed a lot as well… as Chipp can now use Shadow Clones to attack alongside himself, instead of merely using his natural agility. He's also improved his skill in Stealth and Illusions as well.

May: Early on, May's battle stance was very simple as she would sway in accordance with the shifts in weight of her anchor, but now that she has a custom-made Anchor to match her skill with Water Magic, her stance has become less erratic so that she can use the full power of her strength and the Anchor's weight at a moment's notice… growing taller has also changed how she holds her weapon as well since she's not so tiny anymore compared to the massive Anchor's size.

Axl Low: Axl's semi-crouching stance is pretty famous in terms of how he traditionally wields his Kusari-gama, the reason being that this is the usual stance he has when throwing out consecutive Rensengeki chain attacks. Throwing the chain along the ground is how he establishes his offense and "controls the stage". Most likely the reason behind such a low stance has to do with how much effort is needed in throwing his heavy chains around, to put his whole back muscles in to the force of the attack. Axl's more modern "standing stance" is much more relaxed and reveals (believe it or not) that Axl has gotten much stronger since he started using the style: the reason he can stand up normally and still wield his chain scythes is because it takes a lot LESS effort to throw his chains now that he has more muscle power in his arms and legs to throw the weapon around. He also likes to "tap" his front-most foot in time with the sway of the chains he wields, meaning his battle stance has a rhythm to it, even if that's not immediately apparent.

Potemkin: Potemkin's old fighting stance had him rock back and forth while favoring to grip with his dominant hand: it would open and close as if readying him to grab his opponent at a moment's notice… Similar to some ways gorillas use their knuckles and forearms to propel themselves forwards, Potemkin also utilizes the size of his hands to propel himself rather than his much smaller feet and legs. He still walks normally of course, but because of how small his legs are in proportion to his arms, he's always been slow at getting around. He can still kick and stomp with a great deal of force though, make no mistake! As of Strive, Potemkin favors a stance that is more accurate to MMA-style grappling and wrestling… both hands are open and ready to pin the opponent down at any time. While Potemkin puts less emphasis on his destructive Mega Fists (Or Gigantic Piston/Magnum Opera) these days, his Potemkin Buster is still an unchanged force to be reckoned with. It's just too bad we don't get to see his stern face under all that Armor as much anymore!

Faust: Even back in the old days, Faust was something of an odd fighter, but he gets his habits from a certain warrior named TamTam of Samurai Shodown fame! He would rock up and down on the haunches of his feet and occasionally skitter backwards to maintain dominance with the range of his massive Margarita Scalpel. While his old style put more emphasis on direct hack and slash attacks, Faust would often use the natural range of his limbs and the length of his fingers to take advantage of his opponents… you do NOT want to get Slapped by Faust during his massive IKINARI OISSU Hand Slap… it stings worse than a Harisen Fan! As of Strive, Faust has "put on" the SERIOUS Surgery gloves and his massive height is on full display, even taking advantage of his unnatural flexibility and "other" bizarre powers to get the drop on anyone who would DARE stop a Doctor from fulfilling their sacred duties! More famous among his kit of moves was his "Pogo Stance" which could produce the "Doctor Copter!" using his long legs to fly in the air!

Baiken: She was the HIDDEN FIGHTER among this roster of misfits, but has since evolved from less of a Yankee Delinquent with a Katana and more of an actual powerhouse Samurai Warrior! It's worth noting that many of her animations and attacks were "unfinished" according to many sources, and even in the GGXX days, her animations hadn't been fully fleshed out as well as they should have been. It wasn't until Xrd Revelator that Baiken got a proper kit of walking and running animations… still, looking at the comparison here, you can tell that the sprite-work for GGX's version of Baiken still had to rely on the original GG1 sprites as a base, so just the fact they managed to get so far with producing Baiken as a character means there was a LOT of talent behind her creation. Based on the animations of her stance though… originally Baiken gripped her sword with her remaining hand though it's unclear how the sword was tied to her belt at the time (they didn't think to draw a proper belt for her sword!) Nowadays her stance puts emphasis on her open palm: which she uses for grab counters, Ki attacks, and even her BAKU Seals which can debilitate anyone who gets hit by them. Of course, she DOES Draw her sword, but she uses a quick draw method along with a tassel which she uses to hold the scabbard in addition to using her teeth to hold the sword before a full draw. Her multi-use Prosthetics have ranged from a pinwheel blade, a dragon cannon, a rope with a hook, and a kind of bell clasp which is what she uses in her modern style of managing her opponent's movements with Kabari (her "Fishing Fly"… the original name of Kabari was "Kamaitachi" as in a Wind Demon which is known to trip up those unawares…). Also, fun-fact... Baiken's Slot 1 Color in Guilty Gear Strive is based on the original color of Baiken's hair from GG1 which is a more natural hair color compared to the Cherry Blossom Pink color that Baiken is more known for.

Welp, that's it for now... I might cover other characters later... but I'm filing this article under the Movelist Evolution and Battle Stance Evolution tags, in case you were wondering where to find it again!

[jacksgreysays]

How I would theoretically write an Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint x Hades (Supergiant Games) crossover (2023-09-05)

I'm sure this crossover is already out there in the world, but let me throw in my attempt:

It starts with death, because of course it must. When Kim Dokja is a child, his father’s abuse goes too far—the first of Kim Dokja’s many deaths decades too soon—but not before Kim Dokja can land a mortal blow of his own. In that moment, Kim Dokja avenges himself.

In horror, in grief, Lee Sookyung watches her son die while doing what she should have done long ago. In grief, in desperation, Lee Sookyung—for she is where Kim Dokja inherited his love of stories—travels to the Underworld to make a deal. She goes, specifically, to the Olympus Underworld because in Olympic mythology killing a monstrous father is not a sin, but rather the makings of a god. If she is clever enough, if she is determined enough, if she is willing to make a sacrifice, then she can give her son the life he should have had. Or, at the very least, a better one than the one she gave him originally.

Lee Sookyung is all of these things. But most important of all, she is lucky enough to be dealing with the Supergiant Games version of Persephone who is, presumably after the events of Hades and Hades II, experiencing empty nest syndrome, what with Zagreus and Melinoe presumably going out on adventures with their respective loves of their lives.

In the face of Lee Sookyung’s maternal devotion, Persephone offers to retrieve Kim Dokja’s soul from wherever it originally landed and have him raised as a prince of the Underworld, an heir to Hades, etc etc and condemn his father to the furthest, most painful corners of Tartarus under the supervision of the Underworld’s most sadistic Furies (aka, Alecto.) And whenever Lee Sookyung dies, she will be allowed to meet with Kim Dokja once again as a shade, before going on to wherever her soul is destined for.

Lee Sookyung’s counteroffer: yes to Kim Dokja being raised as a prince of the Underworld, an heir to Hades, etc etc. However, let his father take Lee Sookyung’s place in the land of the living where he will have to face the consequences of killing his son and wife. Let his relatives know the shame of having such a man in their family haunt them publicly. Let the neighbors who saw and heard and did nothing feel the weight of guilt for the rest of their lives. And in exchange let Lee Sookyung serve the House of Hades for the rest of her afterlife, so that she may watch her son grow protected and loved as he should have been in life.

In the face of Lee Sookyung’s vindictiveness and, also, combined willingness and talent for paperwork (there’s SO MUCH that needs to be done) both Nyx and Hades are now also on board.

So what I’m saying is, Lee Sookyung becomes a manager in the House of Hades for processing paperwork (gods know even with his improvements, Hypnos still needs the help) and gets to actually watch Kim Dokja grow up happy and healthy(? how does health work for denizens of the Underworld?) and so, so loved.

That would be the set up.

Then we jump to what wouldn’t even be Hades III (this time it’s Kim Dokja’s adventure where he meets the KimCom) but rather the aftermath of Hades III in which he FORGOT TO TELL KIMCOM HE IS THE PRINCE OF THE UNDERWORLD and that his “natural state” is BEING DEAD and so the KIMCOM HAVE TO FIGHT THEIR WAY DOWN TO TARTARUS WHERE THEY THINK THEIR BELOVED LEADER HAS BEEN KIDNAPPED/SENTENCED TO AN ETERNITY OF SUFFERING but instead they’re just kind of like when your child’s friends show up at the house unexpectedly and you gotta figure out if you have enough snacks and entertainment.

No, Kim Dokja cannot go up to the surface world to play right now, he’s been neglecting his princely duties as heir to Hades (since, you know, Zagreus and Melinoe DO NOT WANT TO DO PAPERWORK FOR THE REST OF THEIR EXISTENCES and, like how he inherited his love of reading from Lee Sookyung, Kim Dokja honestly doesn’t MIND paperwork and isn’t too bad at it in comparison to his older siblings) but if you’d like to wait until he’s done, you can check out the various levels of the Underworld, go sight seeing, maybe join an Elysium tournament. KimCom, once the adrenaline has worn off and they stop being annoyed at Kim Dokja for LITERALLY NEVER MENTIONING HE IS A PRINCE OF THE UNDERWORLD, decide to hang out.

It’s very wholesome. Maybe Zagreus and Melinoe show up to haze their baby brother’s friends. Shin Yoosung and Cerberus CANNOT BE SEPARATED. Possibly Yoo Sangah is a cousin from Olympus who frequently ran away to the Underworld to escape the unfair expectations of her divine parent(s), so of course SHE knew the whole time, she just thought it would be funny not to say anything either.

Anyway, hope everyone is doing well.

[xerith-42]

but do they every find a way to keep laurance alive that doesn’t drain the energy of his friends and do they ever find a way to wake up vylad?

CW for this post: Mercy killing, lots of violence in general, and some suicidal tendencies for good measure

Depends on how optimistic I'm feeling. In the bleakest version of events, Vylad and Vincent both get mercy killed, and Laurance and Zenix decide of their own volition to take their own lives.

Vincent is the first to go. I think Cadenza made the final say on Vincent, knowing that he would rather the story be a noble death on the battlefield, and he'd hate to exist in such a miserable state. He'd much rather let another guard take over and do an even better job than he ever did. She's clearly grief stricken over this, but she's able to stomach it because she knew him well enough to know this is what he would have wanted.

Despite being friendly with Laurance and leading a rebellion with him, Zenix can't stick around the group. He can't even fathom the idea of looking his former lord or his former mentor in the eye. Zenix is unable to sustain himself, but he comes to peace with his own death after a life of regrets, hoping he'll do it better next time.

Vylad and Laurance on the other hand...

I think to everyone's surprise it would be Zianna who brings up the idea of just putting Vylad out of his misery. She can't stand to see him like this anymore, but Garroth is still stubbornly holding onto the idea that they can bring his brother back. He really doesn't have any leads on the matter, but he can't stand to think of watching his brother die for a second time.

A fed up and frustrated Laurance makes the decision for him. Laurance can't stand to literally feed of his friends life energy. He already felt like an incredible burden on those around him before this happened, it's only gotten worse over time. He takes himself and Vylad out in one fell swoop. No need for anymore time to be wasted on them.

But there's always a brighter timeline that could exist. I mean, we never knew who had Kul'zak's relic or where it even is. Relics are basically condensed magic, one of them could sustain Laurance for an entire lifetime and then some, but there's a lot of challenges. First they have to find the damn thing, and then there's only a chance it actually bonds with Laurance and gives him that energy.

If it bonded with Vylad, it would also likely be able to bring him back to a state of living. It would be far from perfect, definitely the closest to a reanimated corpse as he ever has been, cold skin, no heartbeat, no breathing, but there's life. He can move. He can speak. He can love. He's effectively back, but his body is more of an uncertainty than it's ever been.

But there's only one of those relics. All the others have already bonded with someone. And it could bond to someone completely different and leave both of them with no hope. Because shadow knights were made by someone who once had the power of a relic, I think only a relics direct power can save them. Only a relic bonded to their life force has a chance of bringing them back.

[hms-no-fun]

hey can you just generally ramble about your terezi (and (terezi)) choices? I am interested in your process for her characters this chapter.

yeah! naturally i have a lot to say about a lot of things so spoilers for godfeels 3.2 A1 solo below the break!

let me just start this by saying that (Terezi) has been the BIGGEST pain in my ass of the entire core cast since beginning godfeels 3.

getting A1 out the door in general has been something of a nightmare, in part due to inconvenient irl circumstances but also because this track had a LOT of heavy lifting to do. Double Album is an ambitious project --too ambitious, arguably, considering how much time it takes to write (lots) and how little it pays (nothing)-- and this first glimpse into what's to come needed to do a lot of recapping prior events, moving pieces around on the board, clarifying character motivations, giving everyone a reason to be staying/going, and setting up several hefty dozens of plot threads in both major and minor ways, all while simultaneously being entertaining enough to read that old and new readers alike don't just get bored and peace out before we even get to the stuff that this story's actually about.

i think on balance A1 is going to wind up being sort of an odd duck among the tracks for this reason. i've been thinking of it as sort of a pilot episode, very much in the mold of the pilot of LOST whose very minimal flashbacks belied the load-bearing structural centrality that the flashback device would come to occupy in the series. but it's also a pilot episode for a series that's already three seasons in, which just further complicates the logistical job it needed to do. here again i took inspiration from LOST (get used to this comparison, btw-- everything from chapter 8 onwards has been/will be heavily inspired by LOST in theme and structure), where the season openers always had to pull double duty of cleaning up the mess from whatever bomb dropped in the season finale to completely change the status quo AND giving the core cast time to acclimate to the new status quo in a way that sets the audience up for what this season's gonna be about. it's a fun and punishing challenge that takes a lot of trial and error. there have been so many versions of A1 that all conveyed largely the same information in completely different ways to wildly different ends.

i'm glad i put that work in, because i'm really proud of how A1 ultimately turned out. i think it accomplishes the goals i set out for. and in a serial work like this you just don't get a chance to redo your first episode. if this part didn't work, if every character wasn't utilized with absolute precision, everything that followed would be at a disadvantage. i feel more confident in the future of this side of the story than i did when i first started writing it. but it was hard!

and at the center of that challenge was (Terezi), the character whose desire to go with Silverbark is easily the most obvious of the departing cast and yet simultaneously the most mysterious. i have a document for every writing project where i save cut material just in case, and the one for A1 is over 8000 words. of those, just shy of half are scenes involving (Terezi). because ever since the start of gf3, she's been a delightful, infuriating wrench in all my plans. it's easy enough to understand why she would want to go with Silverbark, but what does she feel about it? how does she feel about what she did to June, what June/Risk did to her, or about the state of Earth C today, and especially about the medicated domestic 30-something Vrisrezi who've just shown up out of the blue?

i wrote the dream strangulation scene in 3.1 chapter 1 knowing it would put a dent in her and June's relationship that would be a pain point through the rest of 3.1, but i'd always planned for them to get on better terms before the end (until Vrisrezi showed up, at which point all that progress would be painfully backpedaled). but as soon as she left the house, (Terezi) completely closed herself off and refused to come to the table again. throughout gf3 and especially chapter 8 i tried to find ways to let her talk about what was on her mind, and she just wouldn't. the Host-intruded memory of them getting into an argument watching Consort Jerry Springer and the birthday flashback where (Terezi) eats leafs both wound up defined in their conflict by (Terezi)'s own silence, her refusal to say what's really bothering her. even as she opens up some in the latter scene, she remains infuriatingly closed off to Risk and us. the question she thinks she's answering is why she's uncomfortable on Earth C, but the question June and Risk are really asking is, why am i not good enough to make this place feel like your home?

this is a dominant theme of Divergence Syndrome-- characters ensconced in noise looking for silence, or characters sick of silence hurtling mortally towards cacophony. the strict meaning of silence vs noise change depending on the person. all the circus flashbacks are moments where characters just can't quite bring themselves to say the thing they really want to say. silence and noise, secrets and truth-- you might draw some comparisons here between this theme and the concept of Voidthought as introduced in A1. i try not to push my hand when it feels like characters don't want to be accessible. it's easy to want to give everyone center stage all at once, but it gets to being too much very quickly. you've got to pick your battles, give everyone their moment when the time is right, when you and they both feel ready for it.

but with (Terezi) i genuinely was like. hey. tell me the thing you really want to say. give me something to work with here. i'm trying to understand how you got here from where we left you in gf2. were you just lying when you said you loved how unpredictable June was? were you lying to Kanaya when you said you liked how boring Earth C was compared to Alternia? what changed in those eleven months between gf2 and gf3 and why didn't i see it until it was too late?

and she just WOULDN'T. every time i've tried to get her talking it felt forced and wrong. she only talks in narration when she wants to. she refuses to humor her guilt even to herself. i wrote a complete version of the scene in Dave's room where Silverbark is much, much meaner, just to try and get a rise out of her. but it was so out of character, it was too much, too forceful. you just can't drag secrets out into the open like that. not with a Mind player as stubborn as (Terezi).

that scene was for me, really. i needed to write it because i was mad at her. i won't share it here because i think quite a lot of it will end up recycled in some form down the line. i don't exactly want to give the impression that (Terezi) is a distinct entity, because none of these characters are. it's more that i see the narration itself, and each characters' varying awareness of it, as having strict rules and boundaries. there's that moment at the end of A1 where Vriska pops into the narration just to say, actually no i don't want my feelings on display right now. i'd planned to have a whole lot of prose there! but when i wrote that interjection, it felt right. it showcases a different form of closing one's self off-- where (Terezi) is doing bullheaded self-harm in her silence, Vriska there is being mature and recognizing that sometimes you just have to let things go. good characterization in this story isn't just about dialogue. every word you read is a function of character in some form. 3.1 was narrated largely by VV. 3.2's narration/structure is what i've been calling "paramniscient epistolary" --basically a roving narratorial eye that can take the form of disconnected third person narration but give way to direct influence from characters whenever they desire. the epistolary part will make more sense come future tracks. but all of that is to say that yeah, to let that device be honest in what it is, to really fulfill VV's promise of letting these characters have genuine agency, i need to be willing to step back and let them be obtuse sometimes.

the original version of that scene between (Terezi) and Silverbark broke rules i didn't yet know, and it taught me a lot about what this story wants to be. gf2 was so much about June expositing her every thought, having revelations, working through shit, coming to terms with her Self. gf3, at least so far, is the opposite. (Terezi)'s lack of answers, her refusal to self-examine, is a protest against the kind of sincerity that June often embodies.

the horror of encountering a Terezi who's well-adjusted and happy is that for (Terezi), it feels inevitable. like a death sentence, a sword hanging over her neck. it's proof that if she ever got what she wanted, she would have to lose so many of the things that she still feels are essential to her Self. i think she tried to force herself to get better in gf2, under the assumption that simply being with someone you love who loves you is enough. but getting better requires work. i don't like the pervasive idea in fiction that couples getting together is the Solution to interpersonal problems, because it's not. it can help! but when you're accustomed to being alone, it's easy to stay alone even when you share every waking moment with someone else. i think Terezi is proof to (Terezi) that getting better takes work, and she despises the notion that she needs to do that work, that this version of her "getting better" is obviously preferable to who she is now. it's revealing that she imposes parentheses on herself so immediately upon meeting Terezi. it's worth noting that when Vriska tries to talk to (Terezi) in the A1 solo, she doesn't use those parentheses.

i think (Terezi) knows that if she even started to have a conversation about all this stuff, she'd lose. there are so many little moments where you can see her resolve shake a little. her harshness is a manifestation of instability. to open that door even a crack is to consent to demolishing the whole house. so she closes herself off altogether. she tells Terezi she'll kill her if she speaks to her again, and when Vriska begs her to seek help, (Terezi) spits in her face.

infinite credit to janet girlpillz for all the art in A1 solo but this panel especially. it took a lot of work to get the mood and tone just right. i cannot overstate how lucky i feel to have her in my camp. this moment would be nothing without her.

it was important for me that the impact of this particular patooie be almost entirely on (Terezi). Vriska's shocked, yes, but in the way of being interrupted mid-sentence more than anything. i wanted to see the moment right before Vriska can emotionally process what's just happened. nonverbal, not overly emotive, surprised, taken aback. but not mad. not sad. not angry. it's (Terezi) who's angry. Vriska laughs it off pretty fast once the fluttersled departs, because she sees the gesture for what it is. it's not really about her or for her. it's (Terezi) kicking the dog to chase it away, maybe because she thinks its for the dog's own good, or maybe because she just doesn't want the responsibility of taking care of a dog, except she IS the dog and she might not even know it.

as to (Terezi)'s turn towards "Justice," i'm not even sure she really believes it. does she actually think June is guilty of a crime? or is this just an extremely elaborate means of tethering her fate to the woman she used to love? and in fact, is that love truly in the past tense for her?

right now, (Terezi) and the rest of the crew are in a state of transition, carried forward by the high-stakes manic momentum of chapter 8 into a new life with new rules without really knowing what that actually entails. i think their commitment to any idea of their role in that future is highly precarious, especially as we proceed out of that manic phase into what will, eventually, become the new normal. right now their motivations are all hypothetical, contingent, abstract. that is not enough in the long term. it will take something real, something personal, to get them not just to stay in Silverbark's company, but to live there. Silverbark has sown the seeds of these in each of her conversations with the core cast. but to paraphrase VV, their ultimate reason for choosing to do what they will do is theirs to decide.

it wouldn't take much to shake (Terezi) out of her present self-destructive funk. it's just that there aren't very many things that could, and most of them are on Earth C. the question for me going forward is, what will it take to transform (Terezi)'s present verve for becoming "a detective" from an elaborate larp into a genuine career conviction? she can't maintain her delusion of moral superiority without that. (Terezi)'s a real piece of work but i don't think she enjoys lying, even and perhaps especially to herself. but she is a serial lifelong liar-by-omission. the currency of her deception is silence.

and that's something that (Terezi) and Silverbark have in common.

my final note (dear god does this woman ever shut up) is on the characterization of Terezi. she obviously doesn't get many lines in this chapter, and that's interesting. I have a hard time imagining that even a medicated 30-something Terezi is particularly good at holding her tongue. part of it is just sheer practicality. there are ELEVEN characters with speaking roles in this chapter, and of those Terezi is the least... i don't want to say "important," because she IS important. least relevant, maybe? none of this interpersonal drama has anything to do with her. when you think about it, Terezi is in a similar position now to the one Silverbark was in when she returned to Earth C. older, wiser, fundamentally different, while simultaneously stepping into the role her less mature younger self occupied in all these people's lives. i think she recognizes that the only thing she can do in this situation is cause trouble, so she mostly avoids contributing altogether. her home base in the scene is Vriska, until at last the space opera drama mamas fuck off to their Very Important Story and she can safely make jokes again. wow, what a bitch. let's go get omelettes.

it'll be interesting to see (when we get to it, which will be a long time from now) how Terezi fits in with Jane and Karkat, and on Earth C in general. how will the media respond to her? how will culture at large respond to her? jesus christ man, it's gonna be such a fucking mess.

anyway, those are some rambling thoughts on Terezi and (Terezi)! i hope your thirst is sated, or at least that you didn't drown.

[localplaguenurse]

As like an angst idea how would the ginkgo kids react if zhongli and wifey had this like major fight infront them?

I had an entire fic written out but because I was doing it on the app and not google docs the app closed and I lost literally everything. I only have this screenshot from the og thing.

But whatever, I’ll just write a more condensed version. Lesson learned.

As stated, it’s hard to imagine Wifey and Morax/Zhongli fighting. Conflict is unavoidable, yeah, that goes for all relationships and especially two thousand years of marriage. Still, an actual full on argument is unheard of between them.

It would more than likely be over something small, that’s usually how these things go. The small thing is what starts the disagreement, but it soon stops being about whatever inconvenienced them. Perhaps it’s actually a lot of very small things piled up, or maybe it’s emblematic of a much bigger issue. It really doesn’t matter because soon enough the two are full on yelling at each other. Angry tears are streaming down Wifey’s face, and gold smoke is beginning to emanate from Morax’s body.

Feng had originally stopped by Yaling’s room for help with a little project. He was in the process of asking her for some white and boulder opals, when they heard yelling from down the hall. Confusion and worry set in, seeing as they’d very rarely heard their parents yelling like this. Even more rare is the thought they were yelling at each other like that. When it became obvious that the fighting was going to get worse, Feng suggested the two check out his forge, so Yaling can see how he sets the gems into the jewellery and weaponry he makes. Yaling would normally point out that even at sixteen, Feng is still not allowed in without dad there, but hearing their mother getting angrier gives the girl a change of heart.

Lihua and Zhusha are in the courtyard catching up. Lihua is explaining that the reason makeup irritates her younger sister’s scales is because she’s not blending it in properly, when the door flies open. You storm out, yelling at Morax about how you don’t want to be near him right now. He yells back, saying he already suggested you two step away from this, that’s why you’re fighting, so why is it suddenly a good idea when you suggest it. You tell him you’re done with the conversation, that you’re going to stay with Li Lei until you’re no longer angry and he better not follow you. In an instant, you’re gone, leaving your husband quite literally smouldering. When he turns to head back inside, he spots his two daughters, shocked, and feels shame wash over him. He opens his mouth to say something, but nothing comes out, because he doesn’t know what to say. He heads inside, leaving the girls confused and concerned.

Your side of the bed remains empty when Morax retires for the night. When he awakens in the morning, he finds his hand has been reaching for where your body would normally be. He sighs, thinking back on the fight. It was stupid, and he can’t believe it ever got that far. The damage has been done, though.

He’s surprised to see Yánjiāng in the kitchen, as last he had heard, his son was in Natlan. They explain that they were on his way home when they spotted smoke coming from the forge. He found the twins inside, Yaling reading and Feng making some sort of ornate blade. He also goes on to mention that the two told them that their parents were fighting, hence why they were hiding out in the forge. Morax confirms this, visibly solemn. Yánjiāng, unsure how to comfort his father, simply remarks that it will probably be okay. It’s actually impressive that the two hadn’t gotten into a fight like this yet. Morax doesn’t see it that way, though he appreciates the optimism.

Wifey returns home in the afternoon. Morax is sitting by the cliff edge overseeing Liyue Harbour, and though he’s still unhappy over the events of the night before, it’s hard not to see how relieved he is to have his darling wife home.

The children watch from the window as the two talk for a bit. They murmur to each other, wondering what their parents are talking about, or if the two will spark another argument. With bated breath, they watch the conversation, unable to hear what they’re all saying.

When wifey leans their head against Morax’s shoulder, the tension in the household immediately evaporates. The children sigh, relieved that peace has been restored.

[8bitsupervillain]

End of the Year 2023: Pre-2023 Good Games

Now we're talking, it's time for good games. As with previous years I decided on separate lists to talk about games that came out before 2023 and those that came out during the year itself. I agonized over this list. Hope you enjoy it

10: Diablo III

In the meh games list I mentioned that I'm not a fan of Diablo III. In fact for the longest time I was fairly cold on this game and really disliked it. There's something to Diablo III however, every few months since finishing the Reaper of Souls expansion way back in 2014 that kept the game popping up in my mind. You should play it again, it would say. Roll a new character, it's probably better than you remember. Then I would inevitably try it again, play a few hours and then just sort of peter off it. Perhaps it's simply because of the sheer ineptitude of Immortal, and my complete and utter lack of caring for Diablo 4 that made my most recent playing Diablo III feel so much more fun. I think enough time has passed that I can freely admit to enjoying this game for the most part. I just never go out of my way to play it, but it'll probably happen again that I'll be doing whatever and the urge to play it will occur

09: Doom 3

It's something of the black sheep of the Doom franchise, but I recall quite enjoying the games when I played them spur of the moment this year. A lot of people bemoan the fact that they just made Doom 3 a horror game, but I'm not so sure I agree with that assessment. Sure it has spooky lighting, and impenetrable darkness, but you're never really put into a less empowered state compared to the original Dooms. You're never starved for ammo, and except for the odd jumpscare there's never anything really scary that happens in the game. More so in the Resurrection of Evil expansion, where they give you the super shotgun. It's slower, and more methodical than the other Doom games, but I really don't feel it's any lesser as a result. It's truly unfortunate there's no way to really get the original versions of Doom 3 an Resurrection of Evil outside of looking in nefarious places, because I played the BFG Edition as well as the original Doom 3 and it made me feel physically ill. The originals are surprisingly forward thinking made games because it's wild to me a game from 2004 has support for a 1080p resolution.

08: Higanbana no Saku Yoru Ni (The Unforgiving Flowers Blossom in the Dead of Night)

A delightful horror themed visual novel that I freely admit I never would have ever heard of if not for Umineko. It's more of a straightforward horror tale than a Umineko because this is about the local ghosts and monsters that haunt a school. I haven't finished the second of the two games, but I did quite like the stories in The First Night. Well worth checking out if you want to see some of Ryukishi07's lesser known works.

07: The Witcher II

A lot more competently put together than the original Witcher. It's also much more action focused compared to the original. I kind of miss the different fighting stances that were in the first Witcher game, but I can understand that the series needs to undergo some streamlining as they become a more cross-platform series. It's a fine story as well, where it seems to be pulling from more contemporary fantasy stories of the time like your Game of Thrones with all of its fantasy political intrigue. But it also includes troll fart jokes, so it still remembers some of its origins as well. One of the only things I didn't really like in this game was the inclusion of the odd Quick Time Event. There's not a particular lot of them, but they just felt weirdly out of place.

06: Dragon Age II

I think it handled the transition from traditional CRPG to a more action focused one rather well honestly. It's not the deepest combat in the world, but I never really had any particular complaint with how it was implemented. I liked the time skips in the story as well, jumping to more important parts of Hawkes' life rather than meander and get bogged down in the weeds of showing their entire time in Kirkwall. A fine enough story, even though its attempts to make the final endgame events bigger than previous plot points just fall flat on its face. It was fun seeing the fantasy RPG equivalent to a Like a Dragon game.

05: Might and Magic X: Legacy

I don't know a thing about the Might and Magic series. I know one of the strategy spinoffs is regarded as the absolute pinnacle of the genre, but as far as the mainline ones go I know nothing. That being said however I did quite like the first person dungeon crawling and combat here in MMX. It's nothing groundbreaking, and I doubt it was anything particuarly special when it came out nearly a decade ago in 2014. I appreciate that the game is more than willing to let you screw up making your party and going in with a "suboptimal" team. Rather than hold your hand and tell you which classes to bring or how to level them. I wish Ubisoft would let some developers make another one of these because I enjoy these lower budget RPGs that aren't these massive open world fiascos. Also you could make bank by upsetting the crowd who cries about ruining beloved franchises by making new entries in older series. But really I just greatly enjoy this type of RPG, and I would love to see more of them. I don't know if it will save Ubisoft from their impending implosion, but I would love to see them take chances on this type of game again rather than see them put out another big open world game that takes a hundred hours to finish.

04: Bravely Default II

With series like the Bravely Default series I usually try to play the games in release order. I know developers go to great pains to make it so you can follow a narrative for a game without having played every single entry prior to it. Regardless I try to play the first entries first. Sometimes this is a double edged sword because who's got time to play the eight or so entries before you play Ys VIII? Other times you got two entries, Bravely Default and Bravely Second. But here's the thing, while I played Bravely D 1 way back on the 3DS I know I never actually finished it, and I never touched Bravely Second. But towards the end of December 2022 I decided what the hey, I'll play Bravely Default 2 and just try to figure it out from there. This game was an utter delight to play, something about the turn based combat, good story, and charming visuals just combined to make this game a real treat for me. Even when I was going out of my way to suck the fun out of the game by grinding up the job levels I was having a heck of a good time. While I enjoy the story that's not what kept bringing me back to the game. I kept coming back to it just for the sheer enjoyment of playing the actual game. A novel concept! Bravely Default II was just an immensely enjoyable game and I highly recommend it to those who enjoy turn-based RPGs.

03: Potato Flowers in Full Bloom

This is as late an entry as one could possibly get. I went into this completely blind and I came away absolutely stunned. This is a great turn-based dungeon crawler RPG that I cannot recommend highly enough. It's clearly done by people who have a great love for the DRPGs but it isn't so bogged down with the ideas of what a "hardcore" DRPG should be that it loses itself in the fine details. Rather than get super in depth with the challenge one would find in a Wizardry Potato Flowers just focuses on a superlative gameplay loop that is just extremely enjoyable to play.

02: Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire

It seemed like a lock way back at the start of the year. Sure Bravely Default 2 was a sheer delight, but it couldn't match Deadfire. The combat, the look, the storyline, everthing was just such a marked improvement over the basic perfection I felt playing Pillars of Eternity 1.

01: Umineko: When the Seagulls Cry

But something came along in May that just swept the legs out from under it. There has not been an experience that has just taken up permanent residence in my head since finishing it. I went into Umineko knowing basically nothing, and by the time I finished it my mind just kept going over it again and again thinking about the characters, and the story, just replaying and rethinking events over and over again. Just a masterfully crafted narrative, and a killer soundtrack to boot.

01: Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire

But the thing about games is that there's more to them than just the story, the gameplay also matters. The short of it is that Pillars of Eternity II quite handily beats Umineko on the gameplay front. Plus, I really don't want to downplay the story of PIllars II because it stands strongly in my memory as one of the most superbly written stories I have ever experienced in any RPG, much less games in general.

01: Umineko: When They Cry

But the story contained within the one hundred and twenty hours worth of Umineko is without hyperbole some of the best written I have had the pleasure to experience. Just some of the most astonishingly well-written character I have ever seen in any medium. Such dedication to the crafting of some of the most vile duplicitous bastards you have ever seen, it's staggering.

01: Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire

The storyline in Deadfire takes the already major stakes from Pillars of Eternity I and manages to raise them even higher without making it seem like it's going to ridiculous lengths. The many characters you meet in this game are some of the strongest and best written I have seen in an extraordinarily long time. It's such a wonderful balancing act that you have such a range of characters who have their own plots and schemes that can affect the world but they all gel really well together. Even the overtly optimistic characters are played in a very realistic way where it doesn't come across as the game trying to pander with naive cheerful characters.

Umineko no Naku Koro Ni

I find it incredible that a series of such gargantuan length was able to maintain and hold my interest for the majority of its length. There were a couple of times early on where I felt my interest waning a bit, but everytime it was able to draw me back in and just revitalize my enjoyment. I am also immensely surprised at just how strongly it has remained lodged in my memory since finishing it. I feel reasonably confident if pressed I could give a summation of the entire VN just going off of memory and lose very little in the retelling.

Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire

As with the original Pillars the sequel does an amazing job integrating the DLC expansions quite seamlessly into the main narrative. There were times that I would embark on what I thought was a simple sidequest but was actualy a large add-on that was just as well crafted as the stuff in the main game. It was a very nice and greatly appreciated attention to detail.

02: Umineko no Naku Koro Ni

I adore this game, I will sing its praises even while carrying the small issues I have with the production. It is such a genuinely great piece of work that I worry that I might be overselling how good it is. But I genuinely feel that it is certainly worth all the praise the visual novel has accrued since its release.

01: Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire

However, games are more than just their story. It comes down to gameplay as well as the story that determines what I think the best of the year (pre-2023) truly is. And that's Pillars of Eternity II. I went in to this game with very high expectations, and I was truly surprised at how masterfully the game had met every single one of them. Despite some minor character and story wobbles I adore everything Pillars II set out to do. I highly, highly recommend this game to anyone who has even a passing interest in CRPGs.

What do you think everyone?

But in my heart I know the award goes to Umineko.

[nonuggetshere]

wait what happens in that scene?? why is flower bleeding??

OH, I didn't see this ask,

Sorry in advance, I kind of went off about this LMAO

Long story short, it happens like ~2-3 years after they're found out. Being fed up with being treated like a simple guard and ignored by their parents, they finally snap.

They challenge the Pale King to a duel and do not let up when he refuses. He tries to get them to back down but they refuse to listen and keep pushing, so he very reluctantly accepts.

The regular duel very quickly turns incredibly violent as Flower just lets out years of their pent-up anger, frustration and resentment. They have something to prove to their father and by God they're going to beat his ass up about it.

Pale King refuses to fight back at first, which frustrates Flower even more. By that point they're well away from the initial arena.

It finally ends when Pale King does start to fight back after he realises they're not going to let up and might even kill him. The actual fight doesn't last long, and ends when Pale King slashes at their face, breaking their mask and basically puts them through a wall.

They land in one of the training areas, and the Pale King just stands over them and sighs, saying the duel's over and to just leave and he won't consider this an act of treason. He turns to leave and Flower just completely breaks down.

They air out all of their grievances, saying they did everything he told them to and were the most perfect version of themself they could be, so what are they doing wrong? Why did he toss them aside like that?

He doesn't even look at them. He wants to, for a moment, but decides against it. He doesn't think he can handle seeing them like that.

They just break down further and yell at him, practically begging, to just look at them. They want him to look, to acknowledge their pain, to see what he's done to them. He doesn't, just tells them to go patch up. They call him a coward and run off.

The Pale King does get his ass chewed out for this by Herrah and partially by his knights.

This event does make PK and WL realise just how much their selfish actions had hurt their child. In the past years, they had convinced themselves that this is for the better, that they probably didn't want to see them after everything. Pale King put them on guard duty because even though it hurt to be near them he also couldn't bear the thought of letting them go, he wanted to make sure they were close and they were safe. They hadn't realised how much it hurt Flower, because they weren't even present to see that hurt. They watched them from the distance, and Flower felt completely abandoned, they couldn't have had any idea that their parents do love them and cared if the two of them just kept pushing them away.

Pale King is a selfish person here, in some aspects. He chose to preserve his own heart at the cost of his child's. Even after the duel he didn't look at them because he couldn't handle seeing them in such a state, it didn't matter what they wanted. His queen is much the same way.

This event though, and the conversations with the knights and Herrah that followed, did finally snap some sense into the two of them.

At this point though, it's much too late. Their patience completely ran out, and this event cut them deeply. Flower leaves for a week or two to collect themself, and when they return to the palace they don't want anything to do with their parents. They give up. They've had enough. A simple "sorry" won't fix anything anymore.

It takes them a few years and lots of therapy to consider giving them another chance and reconnecting, and then it takes even more therapy and more time for them to actually start getting along.

[penname-artist]

Forgive the tipsy rambling here and, maybe this is just looking back on something having aged through a lot of it but, do you ever just realize how much you've climbed to change as a person?

I guess it depends on the person. Not everyone has the same experience or makes the same steps. Some people hardly change at all. And some people, people like me, you wouldn't be able to look at versions of me more than two or three years apart without struggling to figure out they're the same guy.

Sure, lots of things always remain. You'll probably still like the same things, prefer the same comforts, or struggle with the same faults. No matter how much you change and grow, you're always just gonna be, y'know. You. It's the type of you that makes the change, though; whether to be the you that gives into emotional weaknesses, or the you that controls their ego from overinflating. Sometimes things teach us, events shape us and memories mold us into new characters. But really, it's just us, paving the way to bettering ourselves. Making something out of yourself. Being someone. And being proud of that.

I can't honestly say I enjoy looking into my own reflection, in a physical sense. I've become so hollow, so baggy-eyed and bony-shouldered with the wear of years of pacing holes into the floor. I don't think there will be a time soon I'll be satisfied with the missing and broken teeth, or the acne scars, or the protruding right side of my rib cage. But you know, appearances can't be everything. Even talents can only push you so far in life, the finite detailing of mine having been dwindled off somewhere in the late 2010s. I can't draw what I used to. I can't do a lot of the things I used to.

In some ways you could say I didn't have a choice. That I had to be kind. I can't work like I used to, can't go like I used to. I've developed a bad knee and stiff joints, mental anguish, social overload, muscle spasms, migraines, whatever else happens on any given day. Things I can't explain and things I can't control. But I can manage them, at least.

And I've watched my mother for years, in a far worse state. Fibromyalgia hardly scratches the surface anymore, with a ruptured appendix and a crushed spine about to undergo major surgery. I've witnessed unfairness and fear in the middle of the night, time and time again like some horrible nightmare no one can wake up from. But I've also seen grace, I've watched a woman go from all to nothing and still put a smile on to be the neighborhood mom, risk pain and days of bed-bound downtime just to take a child to a library event. Just to support their eldest child's new identity. Just to exist to love and care for and take care of her family.

I don't know a person who's been faced with a crueler world. I also don't know a person who's worked harder to be kind in turn.

I'm hardly there yet, I'm only in my twenties. The world is so big and so vast and so complicated. I've already tasted cruel, tasted grief as familiarity is ripped from me, as love and longing is left cold and silent as an empty space for someone who never said a word. I've tasted cruel, and born an inked reminder of what it can't do. It can't take me. It can take my friends from me, and it can take my body piece by piece, and it can take my life some unsuspecting day, but it can't take away me. I'm something. In everything I make, I'm leaving something of myself behind. I was here. I existed. I impacted. I did. The world was cruel and it'll keep being cruel but I'm going to exist anyways and I'm going to do anyways and I'm going to be kind anyways, and I'm going to climb this goddamn mountain one pebble at a time, and shout from every clifftop that I was something. It may not have been very much. But it was. And you can't erase me. I was something. And I am proud of the something that I made.

[edit: it's 11:08 PM, I think this took an hour and a half to write and so I'm sober enough to reread it and yeah can we check off the emotional drunk box now please? Please?]

[gamebunny-advance]

@galaticuwu said: "If Gigi is a spy for Nsr he probably was the reason for fights you have before the bosses. Like he told Tatiana and Nsr about Kliff getting the briefs on the artiests or told west where may and zuke were."

---

Hm... I dunno if I would give him that much credit XP.

Even though I stand by my theory that he's a spy, I don't think that automatically makes him instrumental to all of NSR's actions. I don't trust him, and I wouldn't be surprised if he becomes an antagonist in NSR 2, but I don't think he's pulling every string behind the scenes (just a couple).

To start, the approach segments appear to just be normal security measures for NSR's talents. Even without a revolution going on, I assume that the stars would have some level of security during public appearances, so I don't think they were set up specifically to thwart B2J.

Maybe he was responsible for NSR improving their bots for each subsequent boss by reporting on their methods of attack. For example, every approach except Sayu's has its own version of the "tower bot" which have slightly different abilities that make them trickier to defeat:

Yinu's - Standard

1010's - Energy Shield

Eve's - Teleportation/Invisibility

(The "tower bot" enemy, 1010 variant)

However, any info about B2J taking out their security bots could have gotten and acted on just by observing them normally. Since B2J are going through security, you'd expect there to also be security cameras in these areas (heck, one of the bot designs is basically a camera) or some other kind of monitoring on their own end.

(The drone/camera bot enemy)

But even if they didn't have direct surveillance of the situation, I think making your security forces stronger is also just a natural response to said security being destroyed over and over. It just doesn't seem reasonable to me that anything Gigi is doing would have much affect on NSR's security measures when there are much more mundane explanations to these occurrences.

But, if you wanna be generous to Gigi (and ungenerous to NSR), then maybe NSR doesn't directly monitor these security areas, and the only way they found out about how/what kept destroying their security bots/gates is due to Gigi's intel. After all, Kliff is apparently able to hack into NSR's security before the finale, as first revealed in Eve's briefing.

"...head over and I'll make sure the security system won't be a bother to you."

And Kliff must also have some way that he's monitoring the events on his end since he responds in real-time to B2J's actions in these sections and most of the boss fights as early as Sayu. So maybe he hijacked NSR's security cameras, and they can't access them anymore. So then he must have already been a security threat much earlier than is formally stated, and Gigi might have reported as such. Because despite everything he's able to do, what Kliff can't do is disable the security outright (at least remotely).

Perhaps the security was tightened since NSR anticipated this and increased their anti-hacking security in response to Gigi's intel. If that's the case, then maybe that would explain why Kliff is still able to hack into NSR's satellite. If Gigi never found out about Kliff's true plans, then he couldn't have warned NSR to buff the security on that too.

However, to claim that Gigi was necessary to any of that would be to ignore that Sayu had unhackable security before Gigi would have been able to report about Kliff's hacking ability. So, we're once again stuck with the most probable answer that these security measures were in place without Gigi's report, meaning he can't be responsible for them.

Moving to the next point, I also don't think he was involved with DK West at all…

But you can make a better case for that than the former.

Even though West was called to the city by Tatiana for the benefit of NSR, his actions and loyalties are independent. It would be easy enough for West to find where Zuke was on his own, given that B2J are becoming minor celebrities by the time he enters the story, and DK West still has some pull in the population given that he already has a sizeable posse of hype men when he comes back to the city.

But I suppose it's also just as likely that Gigi told NSR where B2J were based, and then Tatiana told West. Or that Gigi was ultimately the one that passed along the message through a calculated happenstance. In the current theory, it isn't hard to imagine that Tatiana asked MM to make sure that West finds B2J and that Gigi was the agent that made it happen.

I wasn't feeling it at first, but I'll go ahead and give this one to you.

Overall, their very nature as spies makes it easy to pin almost any event on MM or Gigi. Anything that doesn't have an explicit explanation could be explained by them working in "mysterious ways," but I also consider the fact that if the spy theory is true, neither were able to stop B2J and Kliff from nearly causing a crisis, so they can't be all that powerful or formidable. But that idea in itself lends itself to other discussion points, such as where their loyalties ultimately lie. Maybe they didn't stop it because they didn't want to. Who knows? The flexibility of the theory allows for lots of different scenarios~