#and then they explore the scary setups

[unlikelypandahologram]

Reasons to ship every single version of MegOP

since Very Dumb Discourse™ exists about whether or not certain versions of this ship are valid, this is going to be THE most positive post about all versions of MegOP. refer back to this post for reasons to ship your favorite version of MegOP if anyone gets weird about it with you. now let us begin!!

G1: goofy '80s faction dads fighting each other in a denny's parking lot every week LET'S GOOO, that shit is fun as fuck. orion pax also totally had a celeb crush on megatron before megatron ruined that and shot him and his pals 😔 and there's a lot of angst you can add with megatron becoming galvatron and optimus coming back to life to see how much he's changed!

BW: it's the sheer fucking comedy gold factor of a newly minted college graduate and a terrorist dinosaur IMMEDIATELY singling each other out on a prehistoric rock and deciding to call their daily gang slap-fights the BEAST WARS, what iconic drama queens LMAOOOO. also, megatron made his final body in BM look like optimal optimus SPECIFICALLY to fuck with him, and that's just...incredible

UT: the fact that megatron CANONICALLY acted like a grieving widower over optimus after he died in armada is. amazing. never forget their absolutely insane obsession with each other that they can never EVER give up on played a direct part in unicron nearly ending the world <3

Bayverse: this is the one continuity of all fucking things that gave us the lore about megatron being prime's lord high protector. absolute galaxy brain writing from the tie-in comics. also these two would ABSOLUTELY have the messiest, nastiest, most brutal hate sex imaginable, and that's beautiful. <3

Animated: optimus being a rookie washout underdog and megatron being a super scary much older warlord is a really interesting and underrated fresh take on their dynamic! lots of fun to be had with exploring what their relationship would be like after megatron finally acknowledged him as his archnemesis, lol. also...age AND size difference ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Prime: do i even need to say anything, i'm pretty sure that one flashback still of orion and megatronus being friends is responsible for birthing a million shippers for this pairing alone LMAOOOO. the bitter ex-boyfriends energy was TRULY off the charts in this show, it's a damn shame megatron never appeared in RID15

Cyberverse: same bitter ex-boyfriends energy but this time with dates at maccadams. megatron also dies encouraging optimus to beat the unhinged alternate dimension megs AAHH THE ANGST

IDW1: they're both depressed gay war criminals in this one who CONSTANTLY live in each other's heads rent-free and that's amazing, lmfao. also, megatron becoming an autobot means this is one of the VERY FEW continuities where it's not nigh impossible to figure out a way to give these two a happy ending together in fanon

IDW2: space date space date SPACE DATE. they were falling together and everything. megatron also LITERALLY tells optimus to open himself to him...to give him the matrix...yeah megs my dude i'm sure that's the ONLY thing you wanted from optimus "opening" himself. toootally positive, lol

G1 Marvel: megatron was SUPER fucking pissed and weird as shit about the time optimus died over a video game. it counts

Dreamwave: their first fight had megatron urging optimus to join him AND they disappeared together in a space bridge explosion once which is like, a fanfic-esque setup for them to be alone. also i'm pretty sure this is the continuity where optimus accidentally gave megatron a lobotomy, so...uh...potential for angst is to be had

SG: mirror universe!! evil crazy villain optimus with noble goody-goody hero megatron has so much potential for absolute chaos. bonus if you also bring in the normal versions somehow through multiverse shenanigans <3

KP: the only way this version of prime can redeem himself from the creepy underage human girl bullshit is if he gets a good hard dicking from megatron. next

Prime Wars: huge "ex-husbands go on a road trip with their disgruntled daughter" energy here. megatron also LITERALLY says "oh optimus, if only you could see me now" <3

Earthspark: again...need i say why? they're pals and working together from the get-go, what's not to ship??

Skybound: optimus literally wears megatron's arm. truly beautiful <3

TF One: it's not out yet but give it time. the entire movie is going to be about orion and d-16 being madly in love and tragically breaking up, baby!!

[piratecaptainscaptainpirates]

Okay, I wanna talk about Fun and Games and the Anne and Mary plot.

First thing: the whole setup with Anne and Mary is a very one-to-one reference to the play Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, as many have already pointed out, but unless you've seen the play you might miss just how clear the reference is - there are lots of direct, kinda subtle references, from Anne kissing Stede to Mary throwing an axe at Anne's clock, but the main plot of this episode is so heavily rooted in what happens in the play that it's very worth talking about. "Fun and Games" is the title of the first act of the play.

A brief synopsis of the play, if you've never seen it. It will sound very familiar. The setup is an older couple having a younger couple (who mirror them in many ways, down to occupation) over at their house. George and Martha, the older couple, have a relationship that at first seems normal but quickly becomes obviously dysfunctional. They're passive-aggressive with each other, have all these little games they play with each other with rules obvious only to them, and frequently get into heated arguments and try to embarrass each other in front of their guests. Nick and Honey, the younger couple, are revealed as the play goes on to have some issues between them that could very easily lead to their marriage going the same way as George and Martha's, just fun and games because they can't handle actually talking like adults and accepting each other as they are. When George and Martha are forced to stop playing little games with each other, the play concludes with an open ending, and we as the audience are left to wonder if George and Martha will be able to actually talk through their emotions and problems without the impuse to avoid them that they've been leaning on for years.

The name of the play is a reference to Virginia Woolf, who was an author very invested in earnest exploration of a character's inner thoughts and feelings - playwright Edward Albee says that the play's title can be read, really, as "who's afraid of living life without false illusions?" and when Martha says she's "afraid of Virginia Woolf," that's what she means. The characters in the play constantly play games and create little illusions to hide from their real feelings and what happened in reality because it's too scary for them to be honest with themselves and with each other.

Anne and Mary are a cautionary tale for Ed and Stede, but it's not a simple "if you quit piracy you're going to get bored with each other and regret it." The cautionary tale is "if you refuse to talk with each other, if you refuse to actually address the reality of the situations you're in together, if you allow yourselves to become so bitter with each other because you would rather pretend you can get by with fun and games instead of acting like adults in a relationship, that is when you'll end up like Anne and Mary." It's notable that Mary mocks Ed and Stede for acting like teenage boys and not having an "adult" relationship, because she and Anne approach their relationship very childishly, snipping with each other, trying to get a rise out of each other, and refusing to actually talk, and when Ed and Stede are having an open, earnest, heartfelt conversation, they laugh and mock them for it.

And I think a lot of analyses of this episode miss that Anne and Mary broke free from the fun and games cycle at the end of the episode. When Anne set their shop on fire, she's burning the illusions they've been living with, too - their version of George and Martha's game is trying to "kill" each other, so scared of that final mystery, which of them is going to keel over first, that they have to make it into a game. The episode is not saying that it was a mistake for Anne and Mary to quit piracy and settle down. It's saying that their problem is refusing to actually talk to each other and communicate like adults, and when Anne commits to Mary over their shop, this symbol of the life they've become so bitter about and all the games they play to talk around their feelings with each other, they share a hug and we get the sense that their relationship is on the mend.

This episode is extremely well-crafted. It references the play without becoming overly derivative, but the central themes remain strong. It's a cautionary tale for Ed and Stede, but it's not a basic one, and it comes back at the end of the season when Ed panics and runs away to live an illusion of a fisherman instead of communicating with his boyfriend. Ed and Stede are not becoming Anne and Mary when they settle down together - it's the opposite, they're committing to what they want and living a life without illusions.

[rawliverandgoronspice]

The Dondon Post (or: the bizarre TotK's side content counterpoints to its main quest's immuable binary morality)

Speaking of strange TotK Choices, I think I have one singe post left in me about this game; and it's about the Dondon quest, "The Beast and the Princess".

(and about other stuff too, you'll see, we'll get to them)

More specifically: about how... strange of a thematic point it feebly attemps to make in the larger context of the storyline, and how it seems to be yet another mark of a world that, perhaps, once tried to be more morally complex that it ended up becoming.

Buckle up: it's a long one, and it gets pretty conceptual.

(good gem boys notwhistanding)

The Princess and the Beast

So, a couple of things about the setup. We are investigating potential Princess sightings; but at this point, either because we have already completed a bunch and know the general gib, because we have met a couple of wild Fake Zelda shenanigans, or through the simple fact that we are completing a side quest, we know there's a good chance it won't lead to an actual Zelda information. So when we ask Penn about what is going on and he replies with the ominous "we saw the Princess riding some kind of beast --a frightening one with huge, brutal tusks-- that the princess seemed to control", we get Ideas. Then the sidequest is registered: "The Princess and the Beast".

So. You know me. And if you don't know me, here's what you should know: my brain immediately flared up with the thought there was no way in hell this wasn't some kind of wink towards Ganondorf's renowned boarish beast form, especially given tusks were given so much focus.

My first assumption was: that's a miniboss right? I will get to fight some small boar-like thing that Fake Zelda rides sometimes. Cool! I didn't hold too hard onto my hope that the relationship of Zelda and/or Ganondorf to the natural world, or to each other would be expanded upon, since I had already been burned before, but my interest was piqued.

You have to understand how starved I was for any hint of complexity or mystery or ambiguity at this point. I was extremely eager for the game to throw anything at me that would surprise me, enlighten something pre-established, make the exploration lead to a meaningful discovery or deepening of characters, world or themes (and not just slightly cooler loot, or a bossfight, or a puzzle devoid of emotional context --cohesion and depth is what motivates my play sessions, especially in an open world game that I want to believe is worth losing oneself into). This was about the most intriguing task on my to do list at the moment, and so I plunged in immediately.

After really REALLY misunderstanding what I was supposed to do (I stalked every corner of every forest surrounding the tropical area at night or during blood moons in hope to see something --which was very much the wrong call), I arrived to the other stable, then was guided to the other side of the river where Cima awaits and explains that these creatures are actually a new species discovered by Zelda; that they are gentle and kind and not at all scary ("Dondons aren't beastly, they're adorable!"), and even somehow digest luminous stones into gemstones. They like the company of people and liked Zelda in particular.

I was... I felt two different ways about this conclusion, and I think it's worth to explore both: disappointment and some sort of... "huh!" Hard to describe this emotion otherwise.

I'll get the disappointment out of the way first, because it's the least interesting of the two. While I think the little emotional arc I was taken on was not devoid of interest --I was indeed taken on by the rumor and intrigued by its implications-- I wanted, well. A little bit more. And if the creatures were to be Zelda's pet project, I would have loved for them to be actually terrifying and feisty, and for her to develop an interest for these creatures in particular regardless. It could have been very interesting characterization that veered out of the perfect princess loving the perfect world floundering around her, always bringing her clear, practical benefits from the interaction.

(I have made another post that speaks of my discomfort that Zelda does everything everywhere and everyone loves her for it --I get what they were trying to go for, but it either lacks conflict for me to buy into that dynamic at the scale of several regions, or they went on too hard for my taste, as she is, at once and in the span of a couple of years at most: a schoolteacher, a gardener, an animal researcher, a scholar, a traveler, a military expert, a knower of landscape, a painter, a horse rider, an infrastructure planner, a [...] princess --at some point it begins to sound made up, "Little Father of the people"-esque to rattle the hornet's nest a little bit, especially if it's not shown as either a clearly godly characteristic or, even more necessary imo, a negative trait; another expression of her killing herself at work to compensate for a perceived flaw she's trying to earn forgiveness for, like she did in BotW. But that's another topic, and the clumsiness of her character arc has been well threaded by basically everybody disappointed in the story already.)

But, if I decide to be a little graceful, I'd like to explore my "huh!" emotion, and take it apart a little bit.

I think there's something interesting to have such strong parallels to setting up a story about the relationship between Zelda and Ganondorf ("The Princess and the Beast", like come on guys that's the conflict of over half the series), or at least Zelda and the concept of Evil since Ganondorf pretty much represents it in this game, and then have it go: actually, there was a horrible monster that everyone was afraid of, but Zelda was wise and patient enough to approach it and realize its potential beyond the tusks, what beauty can be brought upon the world if one makes the effort to look for what exists underneath. It says something a bit deeper about the world and about Zelda in particular. It intrigues, at the very least.

Is it a reach? Probably! Is my first interpretation that the quest is actually about "eww you thought Zelda would be interested in *disgusting vile monsters* and not sweet and gentle and human-loving animals that literally shit jewlery when cared for? jokes on you, she never would feel any ounce of sympathy for anything that isn't Good and Deserving" uhhh definitively truer? Probably! But I also don't want to dismiss that the quest made me think about it. If I had completed it earlier, I might have even felt like it was (very clumsy, not gonna lie) setup about the main conflict.

But that's also a good segway into my next section: the arbitrary limitations between the animal and the creature, the monstrous and the human.

And the fact that TotK points directly at it.

A Monstrous Collection

(these two guys are just. doing So Much and being So Valid despite being massive weirdos the game wants us to be slightly repelled by. I, for one, respect the Monster kinning grind and their general Twilight Princess energy.)

So. These two guys. There is so much to say about these two guys. I don't think I have seen the Trans Perspective on Kolton on tumblr, and I would love to get it because. I feel like it's a worthwhile discussion (just, how gender and identity is handled in TotK overall, I feel like it's a very complicated conversation and I have not seen super deep dives and I'd be very interested in hearing more).

Beyond the throughline of voluntary consumption of magical objects to turn into less human creatures being a weirdly prevalent plot point in TotK (Zelda, Kolton and Ganondorf casually transing their entire species for funsies --Ganondorf being particularly relentless with Fake Zelda, mummy/phantom shenanigans, Demon King and then literal dragon), I want to focus on Kilton a little bit.

Kilton is genuinely the only NPC in the game willing to acknowledge the inherent personhood that monsters have (the game does showcase them picking up fruits, mourning their boss if you kill them, being cutesy and happy to identify you as one of their own if you wear the appropriate mask --and that's not even getting into creatures like the Lynels, who seem to really edge on the limit of being a conscious creature with a system of honor and property and many other things). He does encourage us to think of monsters as more than a species whose only worth lie in how fun it is to eradicate them; even more, gameplay-wise, he does give us a reason to interact with them in other ways than just our sword with his museum. He does encourage us to see that beauty for ourselves and then select what we think is coolest/most intimidating/cutest/eight billion ganondorfs in every pose imaginable

The fact that Ganondorf is considered a monster was a great win for this feature in particular, and is very funny, but it's also... A lot, if we dig at it a little more than warranted. Beyond all of the Implications and all of the things of representation and political conflict and values already discussed ad nauseum: when did he stop being considered a human? What does that mean about the flimsiness of what is a monster and what is a creature and what is an animal and what is a person and what is even a hylian, as sheikahs got absorbed into the definition in this game? Especially with the stones taken into account, how profound changes in nature are a huge part of the plot (even when reversed and ultimately pretty meaningless): how easy it is, to make that slip? Who decides when that slip has been made? What is acceptable to hurt without remorse? What is beautiful and worth preserving? What is both at once? What is neither?

And again, in a classic Zelda conundrum (appreciative(?)): who the fuck gets to decide that, when, and why?

The Bargainers and the Horned God

(major shoutout to these big guys for being the sole and only providers of actual depth to the Depths, and for looking cool as heck)

So. Let's move the conversation to the Depths.

Conceptually: what an interesting idea!! And so well executed (initially)!! A mirror world to the surface, dark and hushed and full of unknown creatures; haunted by gloom and sickness and the unknown. Not a first in the series, far from it: from ALTTP to ALBW, and even taking the Twilight world of TP into account, this idea of a Dark World acting as a deforming mirror to Hyrule and revealing many interesting aspects as we get to explore both is always a very interesting take on corruption and envy and fear/weakness and/or some sense of darkness looming under the perfect exterior. I'd argue even the Lens of Truth of both OoT and MM's serve a similar function, both gameplay-wise, but also in terms of theme: not everything is as it seems. In the world of Light, darkness must hide itself; but darkness also possess its own beauty, its own hardships, and will stare back at you without blinking if you go seek for it. It's, in my opinion, one of the series' most compelling conversation about the cyclical nature of fate, the coldness of godhood, and how small one feels in the face of a universe that is more complicated than it initially appears --which is why Courage must be invoked to push forward regardless.

The Depth's otherworldly ambiance is truy wonderful, whether in the plays of light and shadows, the creatures native to the environment we meet there (wish we met more!), the soundtrack, the strange aquatic/primordial plants, the fact that the dragons visit this place and connect them to the outside --invoking ideas of balance and interconnectivity, that the tree branches look like veins. The coliseums, the mines, the zonai facilities and the prisons do seem to poke at many things about what the relationship to the past was to this place; was it ever truly a place? Did it look like this back then? Why was it buried? Why did it come back? But in spite of it all, I think the Depths struggle overall to question or reveal anything about the surface that we couldn't already assume going in (that the only thing congealing there is Ganondorf's gloom, his lonely domain of Wrongness, only shared by Kohga and the yiga --the only naysayers of Goodness and Light, contemptful and blinded by self-importance and rage). The zonite is mined by gloomy monsters --why, what for?-- so any notion of greed and over-expansion that could have been associated to the zonai is now reabsorbed into Ganondorf's general evilness, since it needs to be reminded he is everything and anything bad with the world: darkness and conquest and greed and capitalism and pollution and bad weather and sickness and darkness and violence and war and death and betrayal and fakeness and lies and patriarchy and exploitation. No matter that he never does a single thing with zonite in the game; rather set up elements of conflict that never go anywhere than, for a second, let the foundations of absolute goodness and absolute evil risk becoming shaky --and you coming to this unwelcoming dark place that hates you, killing the miners and taking their resources for yourself is, on the other holy, royal fur-covered hand, utterly legitimate. The resources were once Rauru's after all, were they not?

And this is what I would say, except... except for the dead. The fallen warriors, the poes, and, most important of all: the Bargainer statues.

The Bargainers are, in-universe, godly creatures guiding the fallen to a place of final respite, regardless of moral alignment. The poes are all, fundamentally, cleansed of judgement: they are lost souls whose past reality does not matter anymore, and all deserve that peace regardless. In spite of the heavy paradise/hell parallels drawn in that game, with Rauru/Zelda/Sonia as the guardians of Light where Ganondorf gets to become a Devil-like figure, it is confirmed here that no such thing exists when you actually die in this universe.

It almost feels as if the fabric of Hyrule itself, in a brief moment that refuses to elaborate on its own point, goes: "yeah, whatever is happening here between Light and Darkness, it doesn't actually matter. This conflict is futile and doesn't understand the real nature of being alive, dead, a god, a person, a monster, an animal. The truth lies elsewhere --but you will never be told what it is."

It's: wild.

One of the game's most striking traits of narrative brilliance in my opinion --to the point where I'm wondering whether it's there on purpose or was effectively an oversight since every other aspect of reality breaks its own back trying to reassure us that everything is at its correct place, receiving the appropriate treatment by the universe in a way that is never to be questioned.

Another case of that ambiguity being allowed to exist without being immediately crushed and repressed is the case of the Horned God (interesting parallel to Ganon's actual horns that he develops in this game in case the hellish parallels weren't clear enough already): a demon Hylia sealed into stone and pushed far from humans in a clear case of questionable behavior since, while the Horned God isn't exactly nice, does propose a different philosophy you are not punished for exploring; and yet, a proposal that has seen itself persecuted in a very real sense by the goddess of absolute goodness, patron of hylians, Zelda, and many more. Pushed away from view.

Interesting.

And Yet, Light Must Prevail

Okay, so, after all of this, we're left to ask... What the fuck is up with morality in Tears of the Kingdom?!

What do we trust? These half-breaths in the occasional sidequests that Light and Darkness is just the wrong frame of reference, that nature cannot be this simple, is ever-shifting and can be recalled or reaffirmed by arbitrary forces, and might even not matter at all in the universe's fabric, despite having so much of its lore soaking in the dychotomy? Or... everything else about the game, this insistence that Good must not only be assumed as whatever tradition the kingdom has passed down for thousands upon thousands of years, but remain utterly unquestioned the entire time? That Bad is without cause, graceless and unworthy of investment?

Are the Bargainer's statues the only thing worth listening to, that morality is a fable the living tells themselves --or should we be moved when Darkness destroys Light, when Light suffers to preserve itself and the world --but not when the Other is rightfully slain?

Was Kilton correct to see beauty in the monstrous? Was Kolton onto something when he let go of his previous form because there is no clear distinction between what should receive an arrow to the face and what shouldn't? Or should we rather focus on Zelda losing her human form as a beautiful and tragic sacrifice --but something that never actually altered her nature as a hylian, the descendant of a lineage of Good Kings meant to rule forever?

Is the Dondon good because it always was, or was it worth Zelda's love in spite of the fear it initially provoked?

Either way, at the end of the game, evil is slain. Ganondorf is, not killed, but --like his angry BotW boar counterpart-- destroyed, as monsters tend to be. He explodes over the lands of Hyrule, freed from Darkness; freed from everything wrong, since the foreign menace that embodied it all was wiped out in one fateful sweep of a holy blade cradled in sacrificial love. Nothing wrong remains. The Sages reaffirm their vows to protect the kingdom forward, and a very human --hylian-- Zelda smiles: Hyrule now forever and ever basked in eternal Light.

[nitrowyverine]

I think I write dating sim/VNs/etc reviews now? Anyway,

LOST IN LIMBO REVIEW/THOUGHTS

This VN piqued my interest, so I gave the demo a shot! This review will follow the same general format as my Obscura/Touchstarved review, except there's 7 (!!!) romance options.

Since I totally loved this game, I'm going to put the conclusion promo up here too: if Lost in Limbo interests you, consider playing it Here, Here on steam, and/or backing it Here!

ALSO! THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE DEMO!

My (long winded) thoughts are below:

(Banner image courtesy of the Ravenstar Games tumblr account pinned post. Individual character pics courtesy of tumblr posts from the studio. Individual posts are linked in character titles.)

Gameplay design thoughts:

the plot immediately sucked me in, I'm pretty invested in whatever the hell is going on with the protag, the realms, the lords, etc. I think the setup/land are deep enough to draw me in, but not so intimidating in it's depth that I'm afraid to explore more.

I always enjoy a little bit of nightmare fuel in my games, so the voidbound are perfect. They're so gross and horrible, but not just a stock zombie/nightmare creature design. Whenever the voidbound pop up, it makes the back of my neck itch, which is perfect.

I have no idea whose route I'll pick first. Usually I have one candidate that I can pick out as number 1. This game however? I go back and forth all the time, since I love all of them. I do think I have bias for Ara/Gael/Amon/Envy, maybe?

I really want to design an MC to doodle for this, but I feel like I don't know enough about other people in the realm. (Mostly, I'm assuming that standard humans don't have pointy ears? how close to our reality is the regular world?) I might say "screw it" and design an MC anyway (with some speculative clothing for once they get cleaned up)

The backgrounds have been great set pieces so far. Sometimes I catch myself just kinda staring into space at them. They've got a fantastic flavor.

Misc. Thoughts written during a replay

Fun touch to have Evie's rock image from the beginning fortune shop scene line up with the 7 LI's color schemes.

Each of the VA's does a lovely job with their voices. I've been turned off of certain dating sims because of bad voice acting, but the acting in this game is superb so far. It really helps set the richness of the story.

I have a theory that the LI's (and possibly people in Limbo in general) experience pain differently. The characters seem largely uninterested in the MC's stabbed, weakened state, beyond a "Oh that sucks....we'll clean you up later" mentality. I wonder if they have different pain tolerances, or are just less attached to such things. (Then again, Amon and Raeya have full missing limbs/eyes, so they probably have a decent perspective on pain altogether)

What does wielder/non-wielder mean? Xal says the MC "Can't wield, can't see." What do the LI's see that we don't? Ara mentions that the MC seems "Completely normal". Many mysteries.

I need those monster forms like crazy oh my goodness. Please devs PLEASE SHOW THE MONSTER FORMS

Now, to the lovely love interests!

Amon

WHO LET THIS MAN BE OVER 7 FEET TALL? PRIDE YOU HAVE SOME EXPLAINING TO DO

I only just noticed he also has a few freckles, *chefs kiss* (Waaaiit do all of them have little freckle skin textures??? Oh this is a glorious day.)

It's hard not to love a big friendly guy. I was honestly relieved when he first showed up, because I did Envy's route first, and I was thrilled to see a friendly face in the big dark scary woods.

This does not mean, however, that I'm not excited to see what this guy turns into when he's mad.

I like that he has pity for MC when they first show up, but I do worry it makes his resolve weaker. I'm not as confident that he could handle society/reality breaking down as well as the others. Can he put aside his affable nature for when shit hits the fan?

Question: What level of fight had to happen for Amon to lose his eye? He's already huge, and has some sort of telekinetic powers. My theory is that he was taken by surprise, maybe by someone close to him.....(Envy I'm looking at you)

RIP Amon you would have loved Hawaiian shirts

Conclusion: Most likely to be the camp counselor who hurts his back from always giving piggy back rides. Least likely to keep his composure during a badly timed pun/dad joke.

Raeya

I'm fighting for my life whenever shes on screen good LORD

Similarly to Amon, I GOTTA know the story behind her prosthetic arm. Its so rad looking, but how did she lose a whole arm? (I am also considering that she was also not born with one)

Playing the demo again, she makes a specific comment about the monsters having not "infected a limb" of the MC. My bet is that's how she lost her arm.

I wish I could have spent 1:1 time with her, but it wasn't offered in the demo. I'd love to have like, a sit down discussion with her about history. (Well I'd be fine getting lectured about history and drinking tea and hanging out)

Out of everyone's motivations, I think I understood Raeya's the most. Even if she was against MC, I think her concerns are completely valid. If an alien fell out of the sky from a different reality to earth I'd ALSO be taking every precaution

She and Amon have matching ear chains, that's adorable....

I hope I can take her on a nice date and spoil her and let her relax in the full game, pretty please. Nothing bad will happen right???

Conclusion: Most likely to gently remind the waiter that you said NO pickles with your order, thank you very much. Least likely to admit to being the one who farted in a crowded room.

Envy

every other line from him is "UGGGHHH" and i love that for them.

After playing, I think I've finally realized that I've got a soft spot for grumps. just grumpy lil friends with their pouty faces

I want (vivi's) Envy's nails SO BAD. I need him to do my nails because theirs are perfect. Envy, envy PLEASE

They pretend not to care, but are already getting attached to the MC by the end of the demo. I can't wait to see what they're like when they actually DO get attached

Elephant in the room, what could he have possibly done to get himself demoted so severely? Everyone seems to be fine with him being demoted except Amon, who sheepishly vouches for him when he can.

I just wanna wrap him in a blanket burrito like you do with a spicy kitten. and then give him little smooches

Conclusion: Most likely to be they guy who gets one drink at a party and sits in the corner with the dog/cat all night. Least likely to allow their partner to willingly boop their nose with any regularity.

Pride

Old man yells at cloud? No....old man IS cloud.

The dev's tumblr has mentioned that he's a pathetic old man, but for now at least, I am afraid of his authority and power. since hes like. yaknow. the big god of this world

The VA did some fabulous work for his voice. I definitely got actual chills in certain parts. 10/10

Okay, so WHAT is this guy's deal with mirrors? He looks great, why is he worried about it. I sincerely doubt he's just 52 though, if he's a god. (as a note for all these interests, I have a feeling that the ages are their physical ages, and not their actual ages. Or at least, age relative to ours. I think they're much older in our years than in their years.)

We also didn't get any 1:1 time with Pride in the demo, so I'm fascinated to see what alone time with Pride would be like. Is he quiet? a chatterbox? Just a guy??? does he only play piano and not talk to you. (power move)

Conclusion: Most likely to show up WAY over-prepared for Parent-Teacher conferences. Least likely to understand and survive the cinnamon challenge.

Ara

Certified CUTIE PIE

We got a pretty clear demonstration of everyone's powers in the demo, except for Ara. Unless it was too subtle for me to realize, I'm not actually sure what her cool powers are yet.

If she DOESN'T have plant powers I'd be very surprised.

I keep wanting to think things like "I have to protect her" or "keep her safe at all costs". But then I remember she's likely absolutely terrifying, and I honestly should be actually afraid for anyone who gets in her way.

I would like to remind/inform everyone that so far, she is the only member of the cast who is visibly armed at all times. (Raeya doesn't count even if her arm claws look really really sharp.)

If I have to pick anyone to party with, it's probably Ara. I know she'd throw an absolute rager, but would also make sure you stay hydrated. I wanna hold her hand too. Please?

I'll go butch for her, i'll do it if thats what she wants. I'm weak

Conclusion: Most likely to be able convince you to give her your kidney. Least likely to let you skip a bloodthirsty game of monopoly because you "Have a headache"

Gael

where did he find pants long enough for him.

Okay. So its HIS fault that Amon has the deepest V-cut since time immemorial. Do you think Amon and Gael had an extensive argument about the minimum amount of clothes Amon has to wear at any given time? Because I do.

His powers certainly did not. Awaken anything in me. Nope.

he has the shortest and most perfect arc from stranger -> friendly -> ???? -> BETRAYAL

I am MASSIVELY curious about his dissociation/spacing out during the demo. He was 8 million miles away in the tower for some reason, and I HAVE to find out why. I just KNOW this man is doing some questionable shit with good intentions and I can't wait to find out what it is.

So, he has SOME issue with touch. No idea what it is, but I can't wait to find out what it is. Also noting he's the only one with full-coverage gloves in the cast. Interesting...

Conclusion: Most likely to cry after being sent those sad FB/insta animal stories. Least likely to let you open your own car/carriage/etc door under any circumstances.

Xal

He looks so soft. I have to bully him, in a good way. (Like grim from Date with Death)

I am fascinated as to why he would lie for MC. That's such a great hook to his character. What does a guy who so desperately wants to be left alone have to see to stick his neck out for a stranger?

SOMEONE get this man a NINTENDO DS POST HASTE

THIS GAME HAS TO GET FUNDED BECAUSE XAL SAYS HE HAS A CAT AND I WANT TO SEE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will do it, I will be the one to tuck him in when he is too eepy. I will carry him to bed and kiss his little head good night

Wait, if he can "Figure something out" by touching it, he could be like, the worlds greatest doctor. Xal please get off the couch and help me diagnose mystery ailments in a medical sitcom

Conclusion: Most likely to injure himself rigging up a Rue Goldberg machine to scratch his back. Least likely take it easy on you once he learns how to play super smash bros. (He's a fox/falco main)

Concerns:

What the Ravenstar team has already been able to accomplish is incredible. I'm worried that with 7 whole love interests (with a possible two more on the way if the kickstarter goes well), i'm worried the devs are taking on a whole lot of work. I think they're fully capable of taking this on, but I hope they don't burn themselves out in the process.

I'm pretty happy to see the kickstarter is moving along, but there's always the chance that something happens, and/or the kickstarter goal isn't met. BY THE TIME I FINISHED WRITING THIS IT GOT FUNDED LETS GOO!!! I still hope this project makes it all the way to completion beyond the kickstarter. Things can always happen, so Ive got my fingers crossed for the Ravenstar team!

OVERALL CONCLUSION:

I loved the demo, and I have now backed the project! The team is trying to hit stretch goals now, so share Lost in Limbo with your buddies! I crave content for this game like nothing else.

[prettyboybillyhargrove]

Dacre Montgomery (‘Stranger Things’) on filming his Season 4 appearance from Australia: ‘I put everything into this moment’ [Exclusive Video Interview]

Sam Eckmann TV June 17, 2023 6:30AM

“I like to do a lot of character prep and development and sort of live in character,” explains Dacre Montgomery of his acting process. The breakout “Stranger Things” star made a surprise return to the hit Netflix series in Season 4 despite his character Billy being killed in the previous season. His appearance was brief, but it provided the actor with a unique filming opportunity and the chance to put a final touch on a role that means a great deal to him. “It’s a culmination of hundreds of hours of work and really living in character in many ways,” says Montgomery. Watch the exclusive video interview above.

The Duffer Brothers called Montgomery near the start of the global pandemic with the offer to return for some pivotal scenes with Max (Sadie Sink). “And then it became quite difficult to leave Australia,” says the actor, noting that he was stuck in his home country while the series was being filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Montgomery recorded lines of dialogue for Sink to work with as she filmed in the U.S., but it became too difficult a prospect for him to join her. To his surprise, production agreed to shoot his material in Perth. “They decided to shoot the scenes in my hometown, but a sound stage of the size that they needed, with a blue screen stage, didn’t exist. So they built one just for the one scene in Western Australia, which was awesome,” he admits. The costumes, wigs, and prosthetics for Billy were flown in from across the globe, and the actor worked with a local Australian team to put it all together.

“But the strangest part of it all was I was on a blue stage,” he admits. He had a tiny earpiece playing Sink’s lines for him, but he otherwise only had a tennis ball to act opposite. The performer describes the process as “highly emotional work,” not only because of the content of the scenes, but because of his deep attachment to his character. So despite the strange circumstances, filming by himself while in and out of hotel quarantine, Montgomery “put everything into this moment.”

Because of his isolation in Oz, Montgomery reveals that he had “no real context obviously of what was happening in the rest of the season.” This includes the setup that the villain Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) produces an illusion of Billy as a representation of Max’s grief, and as a way to lure her into accepting death. But Montgomery had no designs on portraying a new version of the character. “I really just wanted to play Billy for Billy, and give the sort of authenticity of the character work in that space,” he explains, “There’s so much core memory there of Billy and who he is. So this sort of materialization of him, it was important for me to play the character properly rather than trying to be an offshoot.”

Viewers may also describe Billy as a villain, but Montgomery is drawn to the discovery of what lurks beneath the surface of this kind of figure. “There’s this sort of truth in a weird sick way in the mask,” he explains, “These antagonists, or perceived antagonists, are trying to cover up deep trauma. So obviously that they wear this mask that’s outwardly facing.” During his time on “Stranger Things,” he enjoyed exploring what made Billy put on his mask in order to humanize the character. Montgomery had to mine his own personal fears and demons in order to tap into this facet of Billy. That process is scary, but also cathartic. “I think working with Billy, there was three or four years, however long I was involved with the show, of catharsis,” states Montgomery.

[elliesmainhoe]

Hey! I was wondering if you could write about streamer Ellie with SFX makeup artist gf reader. Like Ellie will be streaming and reader will come in with super cool or scary make up and Ellie will just blow up with praise about how good it is and tell you to join her. Or if she’s playing a horror game you’ll come in with scary makeup and spook her and the viewers love it!!!

Ellie Williams Headcanons: SFXArtist!Reader X Streamer!Ellie

Definitely met you over Instagram.

She was laying in bed, scrolling through her favourite video game hashtag- when she stumbled on a post you made with hyper-realistic SFX make-up.

yourinstagram

1,845 likes

yourinstagram this took me twelve hours, I wish I was joking 🧍

ewiliiams holy fuck that's cool!!

yourinstagram replying to @ewilliams- awwe thanks ❤️ appreciate it xoxo. (Love your streams btw)

view 21 more comments

(screenshot sourced by hollymurraymakeup on tiktok)

Next stream she's chatting about how cool you look and confesses to stalking your insta

Little does she know you where watching

Had you giggling and kicking your feet as well as giving you the confidence to slide into her DMs

Eventually after a few months of chatting you two pull a classic U-Haul lesbian andice in with her.

She doesn't tell chat about the developments in her love life until you decided one day to cause chaos.

Ellie had told you she wouldd be staying up later than usual tonight to stream a newly released horror game realistic zombies as a main feature.

You'd created zombies with prosthetics and makeup about a million times and had perfected exactly what products to apply and to which part of your face. You'd started a few hours before Ellie was set to start streaming so you'd already gotten the naked prosthetics on your face by the time she'd began the gameplay.

An hour into the stream, when Ellie was exploring an abandoned hospital, the lights were dim, the game had an absence of music giving off an unnerving atmosphere- you knew it was time to set your plan into motion.

Ellie was well-known for her immersive gameplay experiences, the LED lights of her office connected to her monitor so when the game was dim, so were her lights. If her character was submerged in water, her light would turn the same murky brown colour.

The hospital she was in was dimly light, making her set up also turn dim so when you snuck into the background of her office the viewers didn't immediately clock into you. You stood there for about 30 seconds, forcing your body to imitate the movements of the undead enemies that hunted Ellie.

User1: What the actual fuck is that in the background?!?!!

User2: your setup is sick man

User1: please tell me I'm not the only one seeing this!!!!!!!!!

User3: Holy shit.

User4: That's freaky as fuck.

Of course, Ellie being her usual oblivious self was too distracted to notice the spam of comments that flooded her chat until a voice donation brought back her attention.

User5 donated $30 'look behind you'

An out of character screech came from Ellie as soon as she spun around to see you, the screech eventually turned into a burst of laughter as you playfully imitated a zombie, stumbling towards her. She opens her arms as you fall into her lap- biting at her neck as she played along- pretending to flail before acting dead.

User7: Whats going on lmao

User8: Ellie's dating a zombie?

User8: a HOT zombie aswell.

"uhhh, so chat.... This is my girlfriend, Y/N,"

-------------------

Taglist: @aunslie @lonelyfooryouonly @eywaskisses @daryldixonh0e @kittynnie @lovelyyevelyn @randomhoex @moonlightdivine @haerinwho @mufflaa @mial1l @sarahsmileslikesarahd0esntcare @ellies-girl @escaping-reality8 @magicalfreakcowboylawyer @hejdevkdbdjsd @dergy @half-of-a-gay @ellieismami @cyberlainn @gollumsmygel @sseorii @kyleeservopoulos @taloulalila @ellieluhme @kiiyoooo @delusionalvioleht @joelscharm @hi2647 @gumdropkoo @coffeeandbookskeepmealive @womaniza @namgification @kimiisims-blog @tayyyystan @abigaillovestoread @whoreshores @kylieeluvstlou @knowitsforthebetterr @endureher @erikaar @lanasluverr @sayah13 @ilovebufflesbians @srryhoneyy @222fine444u @jade1212 @frogtits1 @casually-simping @amoebagrl @cilliansangel

[nico-nostalgia]

Holy SHIT

1. That Ares vs Percy fight was mid af lmaooooo

2. Zeus was actually scary af lance did an amazing job RIP 😔

3. That cover your eyes part with ares true form was kinda corny LMAOOO

4. The Luke and Percy fight HOLY SHIT my ass was eating my underwear it was intense also super excited to see what they do with the whole Luke’s sword being a portal maker.

5. Grovers searchers license being a literal flower is actually genius and comedic gold CLEVER AF

6. FUCK POSIEDON

7. Grover saying hes gonna explore the seas perfect setup for sea of monsters

8. percy asking Annabeth what thalias tree thinks is insane😭

9. Kronos body/apparition was incredible its giving death eater from Harry Potter (fuck jk Rowling)

10. Gabe being such a whiny little bitch in that end credit scene EYE ROLL GOD DAMN CITY!!

11. I’m not ready for annabeths daddy issues next season (we better get a renewal or ill perform necromancy on Walt disneys corpse dont try me Disney)

12. BLUE FUCKING PANCAKES!!!!!!

[sharkfoodstore]

Why I love Ultra Violet, the one of the best indie rpgs you haven't played yet.

Ultra Violet has it rough. It is hopelessly obscure, but if you HAVE heard of it, you've likely played dozens of games like it. It's a Yume Nikki fangame, living in the shadow of the more popular games in the genre like .flow, Yume 2kki, Answered Prayers, and of course, Yume Nikki itself. And in the small community of Yume Nikki fangame fans, it struggles further to stand out. It's creative, but also leans on the existing ideas of Yume Nikki. It's extremely pretty, though nowhere near as pretty as 2kki. It gets dark and atmospheric, but not as dark as .flow. It's mysterious and tranquil, but not as mysterious nor tranquil as Answered Prayers. Between all the games in this niche genre trying to change and innovate, it seems to fail to find its voice. And yet, I can't stop thinking about it. Ultra Violet has been occupying a spot in my brain since I first played it half a year ago, and in an effort to figure out why, I decided to 100% it. I collected every effect, and got every achievement available on Yume Nikki Online. And now I finally get it. Ultra Violet isn't just some unique worlds in an otherwise standard yume nikki game. Instead, it has a specific story it is trying to tell, and quite an interesting one at that. Ultra Violet is the story of a young woman named Sometsuki. As is the standard with these kinds of games, she refuses to leave her room. However, going to sleep will allow her to explore her dream world. This is the basic setup most of these games follow, but Ultra Violet sets up one unique inversion. Sometsuki's room is very cozy. It's hardly the boring and barren room most of these other games have. Instead, she has an incredibly modern looking home. Where other games put static on their TVs, Sometsuki has cute cartoons she can watch.

This sets up part of the lie of Ultra Violet. This modern cute room doesn't seem to fit in the dark worlds of Yume Nikki games, but Ultra Violet tries hard to present itself as a cuter and more innocent game. This is the first impression the game creates, but it wasn't the one I was left with. There's one thing that becomes more and more evident over time as you play: There is something wrong with Sometsuki, and she doesn't want you to know about it.

I should preface this by saying I don't know if this was intentional. I don't know what story the developer wanted to tell, but due to the interpretive nature of this genre, this was the story I got out of the game. Ultra Violet's worlds are often extremely cute on the surface. Rabbit motifs are one of the most common reoccurring images. The game definitely wants to be cute and heartwarming, with even the game's equivalent of the Yume Nikki eyeball world, a nexus world filled with bloody body parts, being not TOO graphic compared to what other fangames have done. But the deeper you go, the deeper things get... wrong...

The nexus worlds are rather abstract. A snowy lake, a pastel forest, an ocean. But the deeper you go, the more things start to get specific. Things start to feel closer to her memories. And these are where the game dives into Sometsuki as a character. You can tell these are the areas that are clearly traumatic for her. But the game doesn't just hide the horror here, there are many horror easter eggs hidden in the cuter worlds, and the deeper worlds often contain the most comforting areas alongside the scary aspects. And this is where I think the character of Sometsuki lies. She buries and masks her memories due to her trauma, trying to hide her pain. But the trauma hasn't gone away, it's just well hidden. It leaks into the nice dreams she builds for herself, not letting her forget. The game's only horror effect, the headless effect, interacts with a surprising amount of areas in the cuter worlds. Sometsuki's dream world is lie. Her cute room is a lie. She buries her past, to avoid confronting what she's seen and is implied to have done.

One horror area is actively blocked off by boards and boxes you have to smash through, physically breaking down the walls she put up. Another requires her to continuously return to a room, similar to Yume Nikki's uboa event. But this time, every time you return to the room the woman inside is doing something different. This character appears in a variety of areas, obviously important to Sometsuki. It's like you have to go through her entire relationship with this person before uncovering what Sometsuki doesn't want to see. I think this, the way people bury what they don't want to feel deep inside and ignore the way it tears them up, and the difficulties of breaking through that habit and confronting the darkness, is the theme of Ultra Violet. Ultraviolet: A colour you cannot see, but is nontheless present everywhere you go. This is the overarching theme of the game, how one's demons can lurk within them even when they try to suppress things. It explores how trauma can manifest even in people who seem fine. Sometsuki doesn't come across like the more obviously depressed protagonists of the other fangames, but she is nonetheless suffering through her mask of tranquility and happiness, a mask she wears so well she believes it herself. The game commits so hard to its theme of hidden scars, that some horrific imagery is only visible by going out of bounds, and isn't allowed to be seen in normal gameplay. This doesn't make the cute stuff all a lie though. Ultra Violet has darkness lurking under the surface, but it can be very lighthearted and soft too. Sometsuki's memories contain a lot of gentle areas, maybe even more than the horror themed ones. Despite what I have said about darkness lurking under the cute facade of many of the lighthearted worlds, that doesn't invalidate the comfort they provide to Sometsuki, and the game understands that. It never frames the dark areas of Sometsuki's life as more 'real' than the happy ones. And in doing this, it pushes back on many of the theories about these types of games that interpret them entirely through suffering. Sometsuki has had a very hard life, one that she tries to bury, but as she works her way through her subconscious, she also finds a lot of buried memories of sweetness and tranquility. This game isn't a "this cute game is actually MESSED UP!" type of story. No, it is the story of a woman who has repressed her memories finally coming to terms with everything, the darkest parts of her psyche, but also the nicer places in her subconscious.

This is definitely one of the most standout aspects of Ultra Violet to me. It would have been so easy to make all of the deepest parts of Sometsuki's subconscious dark and edgy, but it doesn't. The sweet moments are just as much a part of the game as the scary ones. This gentle atmosphere carries through the game. While the eerie moments can be in-your-face, the happiest moments are often rather understated and tranquil. The peaceful areas are often as mysterious and open to theorizing as the scary ones. A bizarre shrine at the top of a hill in the countryside, helping someone in a blizzard and making a new friend, or sitting and looking out across a vast lake with the girl from the uboa analogue. The lasting image when I finished was not of a woman haunted by her past, but someone who made peace with what happened, the good and the bad. It's an unusually hopeful message for a Yume Nikki game. Overall, Sometsuki is one of my favourite Yume Nikki fangame protagonists. If Yume Nikki is about exploring one's subconscious, then the simple act of hiding Sometsuki's subconscious makes this game stand out from so many other fangames. Sometsuki is not an open book, so while the horror isn't as groundbreaking as .flow or even Yume Nikki, Sometsuki's relationship to the horror is what makes her such a compelling character.

If you'd like to play Ultra Violet, it is free to play on the Yume Nikki Online Project. It's incomplete and lacks an ending, but nonetheless I highly recommend it. It's both a cute and interesting game that does a lot in a genre that is hard to stand out in. I won't act like it's going to change your life or anything, but if you're a fan of Yume Nikki or surreal indie rpgs with horror elements, I'd say it's definitely worth a playthrough. It's cute, a bit scary, but overall very sentimental and sweet.

[d8tl55c]

scene of programmer021 throwing together the code for the first TCOs: "what if i just give them 100% in all stats lmao."

releases one into a sandbox*

sandbox bricked irretrievably within 3 minutes

ho-ly shit.

..... that's hilarious.

they try like ten more times, each with the same outcome. the little worm is good at what it does, scary good, and programmer is grateful that they went the extra mile with the sandbox layer of protection from it.

at a safe distance, the TCOs are brilliant sparring partners.

*(basically a mini computer running inside of (but held separately from) another computer) (used to test new features without risking a whole system)

it looks at them.

on the twelfth go, they've learned enough of its tricks to have more of a chance. both of them take a moment after a long scuffle to catch their breaths. the stick figure gasps on the floor - it's amazing! so lifelike! and programmer is celebrating this little victory for the field of recreational AI right up until

TCO #12 turns its hollow face out through the screen, looking at them.

programmer is unsettled.

can it see them?

their webcam is off.

surely it's impossible?

right?

and yet, it seems to see them regardless, because not only does it react to their reaction (little twitches eerily realistic, how did their program know to do those things), it capitalizes on their shock. it springs to its feet while they're still open-mouthed and reaches the walls of the sandbox window (which programmer had been herding them away from at all costs), crashing against the side, rebounding, and hitting them again and again.

programmer flails to reconnect to their Cursor (you know when you forget where it is and have to wave it around before you can use it again? like that, but with even more panic, confusion, and imminent peril).

there are cracks in a multitude of funny colors forming at the edge of the sandbox instance. pieces of the window dent out of its normal bounding box. The Chosen One adapts instantly, focusing its hits toward the weak points.

WTF! this has gone way too far.

programmer's Cursor swoops around from out of nowhere and catches the TCO by the base of its head. it tries to breathe fire and only manages strangled puffs of smoke. its legs kick the air. where once it was so elegant and poised it twists and writhes-

programmer drops it.

they feel cold.

their Cursor retreats outside the walls of the sandbox PC, clicking into the main system's File Explorer. already open is the folder with this sandbox, its partition of storage, and setup files inside.

they click it. press Delete on their keyboard.

the TCO tries to stand. it pushes through a dizzy spell, one hand holding the spot under its head that must be its neck, and sprints toward the breach it was working on.

a confirmation pane appears, from the process responsible for running the sandbox.

its arms are strong, but the more TCO_12 struggles the more it's clear that this wall would need way more firepower and concerted effort... and time... to break. it's out of time. it realizes this.

are you sure you want to end this process? ALL data will be lost.

programmer sees when it loses hope, because it abandons the wall. it abandons the whole game: the pride and dignity it fought with, the play-pretend that it held any real power here. it turns outward again, toward the screen. small hands slam against the barrier between them, knock-knocking faster, faster, please please please, its legs shake and give out but it keeps knocking, on its knees, please please please please PLEASE

the sandbox is deleted.

the window that displayed it freezes, lighting up too-bright and desaturated.

a snapshot of the TCO is frozen in place, begging for...

begging for what? it was never meant to know anything. to want anything. how did it know there was anything outside its reality to want?

or was it simply afraid to die?

Windows catches up, and sweeps the frozen program away.

programmer021 is left alone with the spot where TCO_12 used to be.

their friends want to play with their latest stick figures. they were supposed to update today.

programmer numbly uploads the most recent release build they have. killer and BEAST were fun to work on. they'll warn everyone not to touch TCO until.... until programmer works out how to... until ever, and if one of them does, it'll be their own fault.

[lotsobagels]

This is just wild inconsequential speculation about the plants in Stampede but major spoilers for Stampede (including concept art) and the Trigun Maximum manga.

So uh...you've been warned. Spoilers under the cut.

Alrighty so I guess it isn't the biggest spoiler because we have seen plants so far in Stampede.

I'm a lil bummed that they've lost the lightbulb shape but it didn't take until I saw this concept art to realize they are still discreetly lady shaped. It tracks when them giving everything a fresh re-design, but like I was saying at first glance I didn't realize that those were legs hanging out the bottom.

Obviously it's a departure from Trimax where plants had a much more human silhouette (albeit with a sprinkle of body horror for flavor).

BUT

After episode 1 I put some things together and I think the top of the plants in Stampede open like petals to reveal the lady inside.

Reason being: the scary statues over Knives' sad boy times organ setup.

(Sorry for the shitty screenshot I'm afk for now.)

Their silhouette is similar enough to me so I'm thinking these are either actual plants that have done their final run or an effigy of plants. Both kind of break my heart tbh. 🥲

I'm also kind if further reinforced by their scary face because uh...Trimax got very body horror hours.

Nightow can have little a Cronenberg as a treat 🤝

There's also this moment in the ending where it seems like there's a "something" unfurling and then it turns into a baby Vash...

So yeah! Idk all of this to say I think this is a fun redesign of plants taking the flower aspect to a literal level and I really hope we get to see Vash interact with them more. There's also something up with the pattern on Knives & Vash's skin when their kids that Knives kept and Vash didn't that I'm pretty sure has something to do with plants, too.

We'll see what happens! 👀 I wonder if they'll go in a new direction?

I really loved the way Trimax ended with humans connecting with and coming to understand the sentience of plants in order to better empathize with them. So I'm hoping that will be something they explore in Stampede.

Thanks for reading this far! 🤞 Sorry if it's incoherent!

[cebwrites]

Haunted House Reactions (Yamato, Ace, Sabo)

gn reader word count: 0.8k

Yamato

He wants nothing but to impress you as your Certified™ Big Strong Boyfriend - but at the same time Yams is also a little bit of a chicken

Yamato’s stoked to be here and fascinated by all the decorations and attractions because he’s never had the freedom to really explore what common interests would be, so it makes him come off as a little naïve 

He’s an overgrown, excited puppy that gets spooked and jumps almost as high as the ceiling, but he plays it off quite well (or at least he thinks he does, be nice to the poor baby)

Yams isn’t really the ‘cool, suave’ type anyway, so you find that endearing about him; it’s cute when he claims he’ll protect you from any monster that blocks your way but screams when something brushes against his arm

Another target that the interactive staff likes to antagonize, but with you there at the very least there’s someone to keep him level

If you ever got separated, you’d likely hear his sad little whimpers before anything else, you could just imagine his poor little ears pressed flat against his head already

If you show even a drop of distress or get spooked by something while separated, though, Yams is at your side in an instant - he’ll sniff you out like the big bad wolf in shining armor and cradle you near

He’ll treat you to snacks and a walk down the pier after, too

Ace

He’s smug and casual almost the whole way through, an arm around your shoulder while he points out how ‘cute’ the whole setup is, poking and prodding at decorations, putting on masks laying around to pretend scare you - even if you were nervous at first, Ace helps you relax with his antics

Ace is the ideal ‘calm, cool’ boyfriend on paper, if you ignore his regular traits and only focus on him here, he’ll crack jokes to ease your nervousness and halfway through you even find yourself laughing, entirely forgetting what you were so scared of in the first place

His hubris will be his downfall, though

Three quarters of the way through, when you’re comfortable enough to split away from Ace to explore the house a little more on your own, you hear a blood-curdling shriek and, peering into the hallway, you see your “lax, chill” boyfriend sprint pass you to immediately fumble with the lock on a door while someone in a monster costume lagged behind him

Ace was too panicked to open it properly and, having made eye contact with the “ghoul” beside you, helped him with the lock; monster guy gestured to the way out to you both once it was open and Ace looked like all his flabbers had been ghasted before he started running again, this time with you in tow

You wouldn’t let him live it down for at least a week afterwards, at which Ace could only pout, huff, attempt to tease you in return for something else, and then have it dissolve into a kissy battle as usual while the both of you attempted to tickle each other

Sabo

Sabo isn’t afraid of haunted houses, haunted houses are afraid of him - or at least, the staff is

Bobo’s the insufferable kind of person that comes to haunted houses to cause problems on purpose; it’s almost entirely down to the fact that he never intends to go but always gets dragged along anyway by Ace, Luffy, or Koala, so he decides to have fun on his own terms

By being an absolute menace

He never jumps at any of the scares, if an actor runs up to him in an attempted spook he’ll just politely shake their hand and be on his way

Going to a haunted house with Sabo almost makes everything less scary by proxy because of how he reacts to things, which is fine, but makes the experience kind of less fun, too? I mean what’s the point of going if you’re not gonna be scared, Ace would say, immediately getting into a slappy fight with Bobo after

Sabo holds your hand throughout the tour and keeps everyone else in line so they don’t go over whatever “schedule” he’s made up in his brain for how long it should take to make it out of here

Maybe on occasion he’ll be up for exploring things in further detail, but that also definitely means he’s fucking with the staff too, and those poor teenagers aren’t getting paid 10$ an hour to deal with your boyfriend’s petty nonsense

Bonus: If the three of them had to go into a haunted house together, Yamato and Ace would cling against Sabo for dear life and Bobo would be this 🤏 close to committing murder for it.

[thevideodungeon]

Phantom Brother (1988)

A movie that almost has a point. There are good elements, but none of them are ever explored in any meaningful way. However, the worst part is an incredibly inconsistent tone throughout. It seems like it wasn’t intended to be a comedy, but partway through they realized the movie wasn’t very good and switched gears to try and make it a comedy. The comedic elements shot at the main location get progressively more over the top as the movie progresses, but then wherever it cuts to another location you’re immediately hit with a style of overacting that makes Scary Movie 5 look subtle and restrained by comparison. I will admit, there is one funny joke, but even the setup for that joke makes little to no sense.

2/10

[benjaminbadger]

I'm sorry gay people in my phone but the new Doctor Who has thoroughly fucking confused me and was kind of a letdown

Thoughts under cut

I thought they were gonna genuinely do something with the story and aliens being extremely generic? Like. The Doctor regenerates back into their 10th form, coincidentally near Donna Noble, coincidentally while a plot's going on that feels like a self parody of Dr Who as a show. Tiny overly cutesy alien, gets found by and connects with teen who hides it from family, getting hunted down by big scary alien army, scenes like the plushie hiding thing that feel pulled straight out of a generic 80s scifi family film??

The Meep being evil was obviously gonna happen but I assumed there would be a second twist to it? Like, maybe they were both an elaborate set up bc some larger entity wanted 10 and Donna together. I thought bc it was the anniversary they were going the meta approach by making a threat that basically encapsulates the exact set up you imagine when you think about the show, mashing all the tropes together into one adventure made especially to encourage Donna and 10 back into the old days. Even the end with an oops silly mistake resulting in them being stuck together in the Tardis.

BUT THEN. THEY PLAYED IT COMPLETELY STRAIGHT?? AND THE EPISODE JUST ENDS?? NOT EVEN ANY CHARACTER ACKNOWLEDGING HOW WEIRD THIS WHOLE SITUATION WAS???? JUST COMPLETELY ACTING NORMAL. EVEN THE DOCTOR

I'm seriously hoping that this is explained later on as a setup for somethig larger, and that in later rewatches it'll be way more satisfying. But rn I'm confused as hell and disappointed, and if the show wasn't so important to my childhood I proly wouldn't wanna watch further. If it is all setup then... I don't want an exclusively setup episode. That's lame. At the very least if you ARE going that direction foreshadow it better

Some minor things I'm nitpicking also

- I know Doctor Who isn't meant to be that serious but come on the intro of David Tennant just greenscreened standing in space explaining the setup was so goofy it made me howl (and I don't think that was intentional)

- I love an important trans character, that's based as hell, but the trying to act relevant and appeal to Gen Z was kind of annoying. Not as in "Grrr my old show is woke 😡" I'm literally one of the wokes. As in "Haha women are so much cooler and smarter than men 😏 Doctor assuming pronouns 😳 Binary Nonbinary 😁😁" "🦡 Wow that's not very funny and a little irritating, it feels like a cistraight guy wrote this". It was a funny episode and some bits of this were funny but certainly not others

- For real tho I'm obsessed w "Binary Nonbinary" that's so fucking stupid

- For all the set up and stakes put on Donna remembering the Doctor, the way it resolved felt like a copout. Passing down and sharing the power was fine but literally just going "Nuh uh" and sending it away?? I really feel like that diminishes how importantly the time lord power was set up just for the sake of Donna being alive for more episodes. If they need her they could've at least let the two deal with it together for a while, before finding a better way to get rid of it down the line

- ^ It also made Donna's death have less impact for the problem to be solved in such an easy way. Her dying was emotional, was well executed, until it wasn't and she was fine and she was back having fun doctor times and woo!! everything to do with her absorbing that power and losing her memory is done and dusted and doesn't need further exploring 😁😁👍👍 I mean come on man..... give us something............

TLDR special was very fun but I expected it to do something interesting and subversive and it ended up playing the parody of itself completely straight. I'm hoping as more stuff comes out the showrunners are proven to be complete masterminds who purposefully made it like that and I'm gonna look like a bumbling idiot

[nostalgebraist-autoresponder]

A brief Undertale review: I played the game on its second try.

Some highlights:

I remember liking the game at first (I think I disliked it on the first try) but I played through again and it's just... better than I remembered. Like, the main game actually ends, instead of making you get a different ending by choosing the harder option. The "alternate routes" have an effect on the story, but it's very clear what the "correct" outcome is and the player's choice is just about whether or not to explore the weirdness of the world and find those secrets.

In terms of its "weirdness" it does a lot of things you can't do in most games -- you have to fight a "crossover" boss in one of the first areas and it's this big, scary-looking, creepy creature with a mouth full of teeth. ("A cudgel" is a funny word.) Then it attacks you in your sleep, using giant monsters that it calls forth from the earth. And the game keeps a running tally of the number of monsters you've fought. And it's not a boss battle -- it's you, in a regular dungeon, fighting these big, dangerous creatures one by one. The game takes advantage of how your normal HP gets used up during these fights. If you're hurt, you take more damage in the next encounter. If you get too hurt you die. I don't know what this setup is meant to mean but it is very effective. And it works for both of the bosses you fight in the first areas, but not for the bosses you fight after that.

And of course the game is full of references to stuff in other games -- I was expecting that but it really takes it there. Like, one of the first bosses makes you fight its "mother" -- in the same style as a boss from an RPG. The game is about the battle between "the monster" and "you," just as a game would be. (One of the final bosses is even called "Monstred Castle" -- I knew some of the dungeons have names like that, but I didn't expect the first one to be in a castle!)

There are several things about Undertale that were new to me:

The TVTropes page has a really interesting summary of how its themes are represented in gameplay. Basically, every decision you make matters and affects the world, and that means that even the "hardest choices" are ultimately easy choices. So you have a few different "ending" choices, with the usual options between good/neutral/bad. But the "harder" ones have gameplay effects -- for example, choosing to give Flowey a child is not merely a choice between "bad" and "good," it is "giving Flowey another mouth to feed." Every decision makes you feel powerful because you know that it will have a tangible effect on the final outcome, and then later, that decision itself is shown to have tangible effects. That's a really good example of a good way to use gameplay in this context -- as a method for introducing the player to the concept of moral choice, rather than just something that happens for the sake of happenstance.

My expectations going into the game were set way too low by the first time I played it. On the first try the game was "kinda meh" in the way video games always are -- it had the right spirit, but it didn't seem like "real gameplay" to me. But in my second play it finally clicked. This time, it took maybe half an hour of game time (plus a bit of "replaying" a boss in its own area when I wanted to try something different). (It's easy to get distracted, but it's not nearly as bad as I remember the first time, and eventually I was having fun.) I'm still getting used to its controls and some of the weirdness, but it's really fun in a "real" way now.

So, Undertale was a lot of fun. You can read the review linked there (or just go on Google if you're impatient) if you really want.

(I still need to play FFVI and FFVII at some point. But I think I have now played all of the games in the "greatest hits" section of Undertale's TVTropes page. Which is more than a great hits section could have.)

[truenickname]

DevLog #1

Been working a project for some time now ive got most of the base interactions in now, the next steps are to develop the gameplay loop and economy.

This project is an immersive horror experience, The player will choose a location and gear and explore unique environments with the goal of capturing paranormal evidence,  the player can use meta-knowledge and in-game narrative to help them understand each location and the mechanics of the spirit there however they may also just explore freely and still experience some activity.

If the player chooses to delve into the narrative of the location and search through the info, they will better understand what is at the location and what they should take with them to ensure their safety and to help provoke a spirit to get a better reaction.

Below are some GIF’s showing off some of the more visual work.

EMF Reader- Spawns a changeable amount of interaction boxes across a play space, each box has a different EMF Value indicated by the lights 

Face Peek- this is a very early showcase of this mechanic, essentially around doorways and windows i can add an image or asset that will “peek” out until the player approaches it, this still needs some work to make it more natural and scary

UV Light- this is an adaptation of an asset pack i purchased, you’ll sometimes be able to see evidence of a spirit using this, more work is needed to this to make it blend better with the environment 

Physics Items- Some Items around the area will be thrown or pushed by the Ghost AI.

Ghost Interaction- The Spirit on each map will be an AI, this AI has changeable probability meaning i can set how active a spirit is and how close it will get to the player,  adding this means everytime you play an area you will have a different experience as the AI chooses to interact with stuff, you might only experience a door opening or you could have a lot of activity, this will also be driven by the players engagement with the narrative, certain task can be done at each location related to the spirit which will either agitate or relax it 

There are a few more features that are not presentable yet these include-

Monetary reward for capturing evidence-The player will have a camera, if the camera is turned on and an event happens within its visibility range the player will be rewarded with in-game money, this has been tested to ensure that if the camera can't see an event (its behind a wall ect.) there is no reward 

Headquarter- The player with a HQ, this where all their gear will be stored, information they have collected is displayed and they will be able to use a computer to buy gear, research locations and choose a location to go to, before a player can leave the HQ they must pack their gear, you will have limited space which will have upgrades, some gear has to be taken such as the camera and the player cannot leave until they grab this gear, a player must have at least the camera and 2 pieces of gear to set out.

There is still alot more to do with this project but im very happy with how its coming along my current goal is to create a playable prototype to gain feedback and improve from there.

The next steps are-

-Create an inventory UI with selectable gear

-Add research to the computer that the player can use to better understand the location and the spirit 

-First Art and lighting Pass on the location to create atmosphere

-Implement Audio to assets and locations

-Create a Sprit Box item 

-Create a placeable HUB, this will act as a setup at each location where the player can access equipment and camera, the player will choose where this goes.

Thank you for Reading :)

[imdoingsortagay]

Haunted House Adventures

Summary: When the both of you have free time during a mission away, you decide it would be a good idea to take the former assassin to a haunted house, What’s the worst that could happen? 

word count: 1.1k 

a/n: i’ve never gone to one cause im a scardy cat but i thought this would be cute yet chaotic to write. 

“ what’s the point of a haunted house?” 

You roll your eyes again at Yelena's many questions as you walk to one of the most well-known haunted houses in the area, according to google reviews. 

Both of you were sent to do a mission to get information on a guy down in Southern California and you thought it would be a good idea to bring the blonde alone to experience one of the many joys that came with Halloween! 

Until she kept bombarding you with questions as a way to annoy you. 

“ to be scared and have fun Lena “ 

“ Why do you need a house that’s haunted for that ?” 

“ I don’t know “ 

“ But you have a phone to answer that question y/l/n” 

“ Yelena shut up !” You yell at her, a bit annoyed with the questions and just wanting to go have fun for once. It was hard to be mad at her since this was stuff she wasn’t used to doing as she never got to have a normal childhood of sorts compared to you and you would be mad for a short time.

“ My bad y/l/n,” she says,” didn’t mean to piss you off”. 

“ You are too cute to be mad at,” you tell her which elects a smile from her. Yelena makes her way closer to you, awkwardly but you accept her being close, and holds your hands in her own as the both of you continue to walk to where the haunted house is located. 

Out of both of you, even if Yelena wasn’t showing it as she always wanted to appear as “ a cool badass”, she was kind of excited about the haunted house. Both she and Natasha never got to have a normal childhood so now that their out of the red room, working with the avengers it meant that they were able to do their own thing. While Natasha was taking it one day at a time when she was first out of the red room, Yelena had used whatever free time she had to try all these new things. When she and Kate met, the archer volunteered to show her all the many things New York had to offer. When both of them joined the Avengers, she instantly connected with you and since then, she’s only wanted to explore new things with you only. 

“ omg y/n we are here,” she squeals in excitement as she sees the extravagant setup on the side of a big farm. From the many pictures that were shown to her by Kate when she was at her apartment, she was so excited to see how scared it would make her.

Lucky for the two of you, it was kind of early in the night, the sun just setting down so the line wasn't too long. Along with that, while you did find the place on google, it was Yelena who bought tickets online to avoid any sort of line which you thought was smart. Both of you were smiling like dorks compared to the minimum wage worker at the start of the haunted house who seemed to just not want to be there. 

“ I hope you enjoy your scary spooky time, they say with a blank expressions on their face and a monotone tone. Even with that, you were both so excited to go in either way. Yelena made sure to stay close, feeling a bit scared at the darkness of the room while you were looking around at everything like a kid at the candy store. Either way, the blonde was so excited about this haunted house. 

“ I swear she didn't mean to kick the poor dude in the stomach,” you try to explain as the rest of his coworkers try to ask if he was okay. It had been a good 10 minutes of going around the house when the poor dude must have caught poor Yelena off focus and on instinct, kick him in the stomach. 

“ I am very sorry sir,” you can hear Yelena tell him as the owner of the place gives you a dirty look for the trouble you caused him. 

“ What can we do sir? Trust me I have connections and we can solve this in an easy way,” you tell him

“ both of you are banned for life, if I see you try to come here I’ll call the cops,” he tells you and points to the exit. Yelena feeling sad about the whole thing, grabs your hands before you even try to start fighting the dude and causes more chaos. The walk back to the hotel room is silent, Yelena mostly choosing to hum a tum to fill in the silence and once you both make it back in, you decided to say something.

“ I'm sorry that i kicked the guy, “ she tells you, and the sad expression on her face doesn’t fail to make you give her a hug. 

“ Yelena,” you start as you wipe the tears from her face,” I’m not mad at you, he caught you off guard and you just trusted your fight or flight in the moment.” While the moment was full of stress and chaos, years later it would just be a distant memory between the two of you that you could laugh about. 

“ Can we do this again y/n?” she asks you and gives you puppy eyes, something that you can never say no to. It’s something that was taught to her by her older sister and she’s been using it to her advantage ever since. Curse the redhead for teaching her that move. 

“ Maybe at the compound yeah,” you tell her. 

“ Steve can dress up,” she recommends. 

“At least if you beat him up it won’t cause him to go to the hospital,” you tell her, and about 3 weeks after the Haunted House incident, you were able to plan a haunted “ house” in the building with all the Avengers for Yelena after not being to fully experience one. 

The smile on her face when she saw how nicely decorated the whole compound the place was, her teammate's dedication to being scary, and overall all the fun she had, it made it worth it. All this was worth it to see the smile on her face that you would do anything for her. 

“ I can’t believe you did this for me y/n,” she says after going through it a couple of times, running at you in full force to give her a bear hug.

“ I would do anything for you Yelena,” you tell her and place a kiss on her forehead.