#mino looks so good

[dragonroilz]

someone made ultrakill skins for risk of rain 2 and me and some friends played them together. stupid shenanigans ensued

[minophus]

[littleplantfreak]

dilf ume?

[rabbitclown]

i want to throw him into the lake

[devotedlystrangewizard]

thinking gabriel thoughts (again)

[sludgeguzzler]

everyone in my circle is into ultrakill right now and its so funny. we get in call every other day to play ultrakill together and watch eachother play ultrakill and talk about ultrakill and then we move on to do something else that isnt playing the game but is still about ultrakill. and everytime we do this we start at 6pm and end at 5am. and its always a great time. we played it on multiplayer. we watched eachother p rank levels. we built the layers on the sims 4. we looked up images and looked at them together. this is so so fun its the most fun ive ever had

[mistbow]

スタン「ディムロス……」 ディムロス「最後に一つだけ言っておく」 ディムロス「私は嘘をついていた。おまえは選ばれた存在などではないのだ」 スタン「…………！」 ディムロス「元々、人間にはお互いに意志疎通を行う力があった」 ディムロス「だが、長い時間の中で、天地戦争が始まった頃には、人間はそれを忘れていた」 ディムロス「おまえは私と出会う前から、その資質を目覚めさせていた」 ディムロス「それは非常に希有な事ではあったが、特別な事ではない」 ディムロス「その資質は誰の中にも、眠っているものなのだからな」 スタン「なんだ、そういうことか……　気にするなよ、俺は別に気にしてないからな」

STAHN: Dymlos.... DYMLOS: I want to say one final word to you. DYMLOS: I lied to you. You were not chosen. STAHN: .........! DYMLOS: In the beginning, people were blessed with the power to truly understand one another. DYMLOS: However, this power was lost by the time of Aeth’er Wars. DYMLOS: But you found that quality within yourself even before you met me. DYMLOS: It was very unusual to find someone like you, but your abilities are not extraordinary. DYMLOS: This is because this power, this ability lies dormant within everyone. STAHN: Is that all? Hey, don’t worry, it doesn’t bother me at all.

When people (usually English-speaking people, because Japanese fans of Destiny often have this attachment to the original game because of nostalgia) ask me if I seriously prefer the original version to the PS2 remake of the game in terms of overall narrative and characters, I really mean it unironically.

I feel like in the bigger picture, the message of the original game (like why it was even called Tales of Destiny, for instance) had truly been lost when it was remade, and I lament for this loss more than anything else. In terms of gameplay, yes, it’s more polished and I’d argue they had turned one of the most horribly-aged games to something that’s so damn fun to play, and I know that’s what matters the most when it comes to videogames in general, but I wish it had retained what made the original game so special to the people who have played it, despite of all of its faults. (As a disclaimer: I started with this game, however, I don’t have nostalgic attachment to it like a lot of people do; that nostalgia is for D2 in my case, as it was the first one that wholly captured the magic of Tales to me. However, that doesn’t mean I didn’t appreciate D for what it was at the time.)

Sure, you can say more details are fleshed out (debatable for the characters, as I feel they have become more of flanderized or even outright contradictory versions of themselves at worst, and ‘softened’ at best, not allowed to act truly like humans at times, compared to their original counterpart with all their 人間臭い qualities), but is it worth it in place of muddying or even distorting the message it was meant to convey in the first place? I’ve said before that in my opinion, overcomplicated worldbuilding just for the sake of it is overrated. In trying to explain how the Swordians work in the remake, they changed the setting, but then the above doesn’t work anymore in this context. It’s gone. Just like that.

Making the characters more ‘palatable’ beats the purpose. I deliberately used the word 人間臭い because you know what? Yes, they stink, but you can feel the humanity exactly because of the stink. Humans are good, but humans are also bad. If you’re gonna say Stahn (or anyone for that matter) is not that special, then show it to me, show how human he can get. I’m not saying the original version of the characters are that well-written either, because honestly, they could’ve been fleshed out more... just not in the way how the remake does it, if you can call that fleshing out the characters. There are so many ways you could’ve expanded on them without truly erasing what made them charming in the first place. As well as, again, I want to believe the characters were created and written that way for a reason, and getting hung up in the details of these characters make a lot of people miss the point.

(There’s a beauty in Stahn having done all the things he did in the game because he believed he was destined to do so, but deep inside, even if he wanted to tell himself that, he was still doing all of these because he believed in what he had already believed, long before even meeting Dymlos. That’s an admirable character.)

(By the way, I know a lot of these issues also stemmed from how D2 tried to expand on the world of D though they can't even be consistent with D2 despite coming after it; for the record, I’m not absolving D2 for these problems either. However, at the same time, if you let my bias speak for just a moment, D2 is there to tell its own story. It doesn’t try to override D. The remake of D’s raison d’être is to be the definitive version of D. That’s the biggest problem there.)

These details don’t matter much to me, what matters is if these details truly serve their purpose, which in my opinion is the themes along with the messages. For me, everything has to begin with an intent, with a broad idea, as well as end with that intent, that idea. And I’m not sure if the remake manages to expand on the idea the original game represents... it just seems like they were confused about what D was really about in the first place. Applied to things like world and characters, it might make it seem like I don’t really care about the individuals, that it might make me seem so detached, but on the contrary, I want to appreciate something as a whole, and to appreciate that whole, I need to appreciate every individual element that is there, that is needed to build it. Because the individuals, when divorced from their contextual whole, mean almost nothing to me. They shine more because they work together to make up something that is whole.

[stalegravyart]

you know what, i’m satisfied with not unlocking minos prime. i s ranked every level except for belly of the beast, and god knows i’m never gonna style enough to get a p rank on that one without a miracle, so i’m fine with stopping there. ,’/

[loftwinglullaby]

i love being at a point in my life where id been like "well yeah i'm still bi but i'm feeling real :/ about men" and then 428 hits me like a very speedy very beautiful train. god bless.

[stunie]

Ume letting you draw on his arms. Doodling all over his biceps as he watches you focus with a smitten look on his face.

ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧

hajime umemiya x f!reader ! sfw ^ ^ <33 i love you mino

He doesn’t really know when this little routine of yours had become the highlight of his day. It always started the exact same— with you kneeling beside him while he tends to his plants, tiny towel in your hand as you glance back at him a couple more times before finally pushing it into his hands with a loud huff. “Here, Haji,” you repeat like clockwork, “You’re covered in dirt again.”

“I am, aren’t I?” And he’s always laughing at the fact, always smiling when he’s around you. The towel never seems to help him very much, white cloth now a dark shade of gray by the time he’s done with it, and it’s already been discarded somewhere along the side once he sits down against the wall, eyes fluttering shut when you climb onto his lap the way you normally do.

This next part will always be his favorite.

You’re gently wiping at the sweat that’s collected on his arm with your thumb, mumbling something about how he should bring a bigger water bottle when he’s outside for so long, then something else about how he’s most likely going to be at risk of dehydration at this rate.

He’s not really listening to your words exactly— more like the sound of your voice itself. He doesn’t need to be paying attention to understand in the first place, not when he’s got all your worries memorized word for word already.

His eyes are still shut when he hears the pen’s cap fall onto the floor, soft hands guiding his arm towards you as you start doodling along his skin. “It was fine,” he always had to remind you at first— tell you over and over that you could draw whatever you wanted on him since he would have to shower later either way.

And as for you— you had probably told him a thousand times by now that he can’t look while you do it— it’s too embarrassing when he watches you draw with that soft expression in his eyes.

He knows good and well that you don’t like it, but he just… can’t help himself.

That’s why he only opens one eye— unbeknownst to you, of course. One eye that’s barely cracked open, silently watching you as you lean in closer to his bicep, brows furrowing as you do your best to steady your hand and lightly drag the pen along his muscle. He’d never tell you that he’s breaking his promise by peeking— but he doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon.

[teratosfavouritesnack]

Imagine a meet cute with a minotaur while you're grocery shopping.

You're in the skincare and beauty products aisle, a bottle of Mino's Magic and one of Kram's Jam in your hands, your eyes scrolling over the ingredients of the two skin lotions - both containing the miracle-working minotaur's milk, which apparently has anti-aging and moisturising properties that work particularly well on human skin. You've never tried any before, but you'd be down to give it a try if only you knew which one to go for...

"Oh, I wouldn't recommend that one."

You're startled by the sound of a grave but warm voice coming from behind you and you look up only to have your sight completely blocked by a furry muscular chest. It takes a moment for you to crane up your neck enough to meet the amused gaze of the biggest minotaur you've ever had the pleasure to lay your eyes onto. He's also incredibly handsome-

"Huh-??"

"Mino's Magic." he nods at the bottle in your right hand, smirking at your confused and flushed face. "It's got chemicals in it. I wouldn't recommend it."

"Oh. Oh! Okay... Uhm-" You do your best to tear your eyes off of him and focus back on the bottles in your hands. You somehow manage to keep your cool despite your quickened heartbeat. "W-what about this one?"

You hear him huff as if in mock before he steps closer, your shoulder bumping in his side as he leans in to point to the ingredients section of the second lotion, his thick finger brushing against your hand.

"See? It only has 40% of the good stuff. The rest is horseshit. Quite literally."

You blink at him. "What?"

The minotaur barks a laugh, his body so close to yours that you can feel his abdomen tense and shake against your shoulder.

"Kram's got six sons, none pure-breed. Their mother is a weremare. Hence the horseshit."

You chuckle awkwardly in response, placing both the bottles back on the shelf.

"I guess I should have looked better into these products before thinking of buying anything..."

The minotaur gives you a long assessing look, his eyes twinkling in amusement and genuine curiosity.

"It's your first time?"

"Yeah..."

"Do you mind if I give you an advice?"

"I don't mind..."

"Nothing you find on these shelves will ever be 100% pure and reliable, that's why you should only buy homemade lotions made by a minotaur you know and trust. "

"That makes sense but unfortunately I don't know any minotaur..."

His lips instantly curl up in a bigger grin and his chest seems to puff out in pride as he extends his huge calloused hand your way.

"I'm Gust. Short for Gustokis."

You blink back at him, momentarily taken aback by his sudden introduction. Your hand reaches out for his instinctively, and you blurt out your answer quickly after, almost tripping over your words.

"I-I'm Y/N-!"

"Well, Y/N..." His eyes narrow and crinkle as he smirks, his huge hand envelops yours in a warm and firm hold. "Now you know me."

He leans down towards you, his snout almost touching your face and making your breath hitch. "And I'm ready to show you how trustworthy I am. How about a chat over a coffee?"

🪷. You can leave me a tip on ko-fi if you want to support me

[invertedspearofseveneleven]

Bedrest (boyfriend!Nanami Kento x fem! reader)

Summary: your boyfriend Nanami takes care of you while you're sick and on your period

CONTENT WARNING: Illness, period pains (reader) fluff, love even, Nanami loves you so very much it is almost sickening, short self-hate moment but nothing insane I promise

Author's note - I too am cramping so bad I'm awake at night, so I wrote this while delirious and missing a certain college friend (situationship across the fucking US? fuck) Needed Nanami to take care of my sorry ass

This is also my first JJK work, so pleasepleasepleaseplease give me your thoughts!

READ THIS ON AO3!! -

Thank you! Love you!

Sick. The sickest you’ve ever been on your period. Sure, you’d be stuffy or have a runny nose when your time of the month rolled around, but this was diabolical. Your head throbbed with a headache that no amount of water seemed to slow. Finally, you canceled your noon meeting and went home. NEVER before had cramps or illness made you leave your place of work. On the way to your car, you bumped into a familiar white-haired sorcerer.

“Y/N!” he shouted across the parking lot. “Skipping out?” You wince at his loud voice, but nod, sunglasses on to block out all unnecessary light from your pupils.

“Yeah, not feeling well.” your answer is short, not curt, but aiming for a sense of urgency. Your headache is fast changing to a migraine, and spots of blue light dot the side of your vision. Gojo doesn’t seem to notice. “I’ll call the funeral home, you’re obviously near death if you’re leaving this early.” he rasps out a laugh. Any other time, you would have laughed along, but right now, your focus is on getting home. As fate would have it, Gojo’s phone rings and he says goodbye before answering it. You smile and nod, moving quickly to your car and speeding out of the lot. 

Home isn’t far away, and out of habit, you drive without much thought. A good thing too, otherwise the mental strength to sit up, focus on directions, and not crash would have been too much. It would have been easier to sleep at your desk. 

The house is calm when you enter, and you hear Mino, your Ragdoll, meowing softly to you when the door shuts. You drop your keys, purse, and briefcase unceremoniously onto the table. Holding the edge of the counter, you move gently across the room, eyes on the couch. When you reach it, you flop down and pull blankets around you. Suddenly you’re freezing. Is there a window open? The blankets feel heavy and soft, but there’s no warmth to be found. Taking a deep breath, you get up off the couch, looking at the room. You move dishes to the sink, thinking that you’ll wash them. You remember the pile of dirty laundry in the bedroom, and get to it, only to drag what you can to the washing machine. There’s clothes inside, you flip them to the dryer, and pull the dry clothes into the laundry basket. When you start the machines and get up off the floor, you notice dirt and grit on your hands. The floor needs to be swept. Why is the house such a wreck? The thought of cleaning is stomach turning right now, and you feel tears push at your eyes.

Useless. Useless. That’s all you can  think of yourself. You can’t finish a workday, can’t imagine folding the warm laundry, hate the image of dishes in the sink, and your stomach is cramping so badly you can’t breathe. Dusting off your hands on your pants, you lurch, that’s the only word for the movement, holding the walls of the hallway, and lean into your bedroom.

You can smell his cologne still. You always leave before he does, so he gets ready long after you’re gone. He comes home later, and you would give anything to smell his warm skin, not just the memory of who’s hand sprayed the scent in the air. You crawl into his side of the bed, burying yourself under the heavy comforters and soft bedspreads. His smell wraps around you and lulls you to sleep.

You wake up to the door closing again. Mino had sat with you on the couch for a little, but when you fell asleep, she must have left for a different part of the apartment. You hear a soft thump when Mino jumps to the floor from what you assume to be her usual perch, a seat on the barstools by the counter. There's a jingling of keys, soft murmuring, and a crinkling noise. 

Bags? I just went to the store… 

You consider other possibilities, but none match up the way you need them to, and your head hurts like mad. You squeeze your eyes shut and push at your temples. You hear the door open, and Nanami joins you in the room, his presence so comforting, you don’t even have to look to know it’s him. “Go to mama.” His soft voice coos, and a weight joins you, padding near. Mino prods at your exposed ear with a cool nose. A curtain rod clinks and the familiar squeeeak of the unoiled window sounds. 

“Just some air. It’s a little stuffy in here, love.”

“Hi, Kento.” your voice sounds foreign, even to you. How long has it been since you spoke aloud? You try to clear your throat, but only succeed in coughing. You hear Nanami move to your side, joining Mino.

“Gosh, y/n…” He moves your hands to the side and feels your forehead. You can almost see his eyes behind his sunglasses, but it isn’t hard to read his emotions, he’s obviously very concerned. “You’re really warm.” He moves his large cool hand from your forehead to your cheek, and you can’t help but lean into it, chasing the cool it offers. Any other time, you’d make a goofy face and act entirely relieved, but now, the movement is genuine. 

Nanami shakes his head. He rises, moving out of the room. You watch him go, and pet Mino absentmindedly. In the next room, a bustling rises, ebbs, and ceases. The dishwasher can be heard opening. The sink turns on. A broom moves quickly. In five minutes, Nanami is back. His blue shirt sleeves are rolled to the elbow, and he has a small dishcloth over his shoulder.

"Did you get home and try to clean? My dear, what would the world do without you? Sicker than I've ever seen you, and still, you work. Well, now it's my turn." His light eyes shine at you, he must have taken off his glasses. He has such lovely eyes, you find yourself musing. 

“Thank you, love.”

Did I say that out loud?

You must have, but that’s besides the point. Still wrapped in soft blankets, Nanami picks you up gingerly, holding you against him and moving from the bedroom. The small sitting room area is clean as anything, how long had he been working? Maybe you had fallen asleep. 

Nanami places you gently on the couch, pulling the cloth from his shoulder. You notice it leaving a mark on the fabric, and when he applies it to your forehead, it's pleasantly cool from being soaked in sink water. The rush of cool on your feverish skin makes you pull the blanket you’re cocooned in closer around you, but deep down, you know that you need to cool off before you overheat. Nanami has disappeared into the bedroom again, and you close your eyes, hoping to fall asleep again. 

You wake up again in Nanami’s strong arms. He crosses back into the bedroom, taking care not to let you bump a wall or a doorframe. The windows are wide open, the fan is on, and the bed has been stripped and remade. 

“Let’s get you into something more comfortable.” He whispers, placing you in a seated position at the end of the bed. Checking to see you’re stable, he turns to the closet and dresser. Looking down, you realize you’re still in your button down and dress pants. Lord, you must really be sick.

“I- can’t, can’t miss work…” you trail off as Nanami turns to you with a gentle look that seems to say really? 

“That’s all you can think of right now? My love...” He pulls open a drawer and looks through it, his back to you. “Let’s get you changed, and if you feel better in the morning, I promise we’ll discuss you returning to work.” He turns back, a large, soft looking t shirt in hand. It’s yellow, your favorite color.

He looks at you, then your hands, with an oddly furrowed brow. Leaving the room, he spots what he was searching for, the discarded towel, on the floor next to the couch. You hear him rewet it at the sink, before coming back and picking up where he left off. Pressing a slow kiss to your head, he kneels by the bed, taking your hands in his.

The large, cool, square palms feel incredible against your arms, and you’re tempted to sit like that for hours, soaking in the cool of his skin while you shiver for your blanket. Slowly, Nanami moves your hands to the collar of your shirt. “Unbutton that for me.” The command is simple, and you realize that, in any other situation, it would have been EXTREMELY hot. For the time being, you decide to tuck that thought away to bring up later. The shirt is wrapped around you strangely, probably from the crash you had when you got home. When it’s loose enough, you pull it up over your head. Nanami is ready, taking it from you and sliding the t-shirt over you. He deftly flips the dress shirt into the laundry basket, and moves a hand behind you, unclipping your bra through your shirt. The movement is so natural you find yourself shocked by its simplicity, and laugh, a short bark followed by a cough. You take a breath, a freer one, and move the undergarment off gently, under the shirt.

But your laugh is enough for Nanami, who sees his lover through the veil of illness. He smiles at you, and leans forward to kiss you. Your hands fly up on their own, and you chastise him between giggles and short coughs.

“No WAY I’m getting you sick, mister.” “No better way I can think to spend a weekend with you.” His soft eyes are aimed right at your lips, even though his words are  sent right to you. 

“So, sick and achy? I simply can’t allow this.”

“I’m risking it.” He leans forward and kisses you slowly. You laugh around the kiss, moving your head away and blushing as he sprinkles kisses all across the bridge of your nose. He’s smiling too, you can feel it. In a practiced move, though handled now with care, he hooks his hands into the sides of your pants, refusing to break the kiss. The waistband slips down, revealing your legs and making goosebumps prick on your skin. 

Once your pants are completely off, leaving you in your black, everyday underwear, Nanami moves to stand above you, scooping you up again. You wrap your arms around his neck, cradling his face in your hand. The lines of his cheekbones and jaw are etched into your memory, a mix of angles and shapes that is so strange to consider being comforting, and yet… 

Sitting you down onto the cool, light blanket, Nanami takes the re-wet washcloth to your flushed skin. He trails it across your decolletage, down your neck, along your arms and legs, and over your face as well. The trace coldness on your skin that it leaves in its wake is exactly what you need, and you sink a little lower onto the bed. Nanami smiles softly, happy to see you get a bit of relief. He tucks you in, under only one blanket instead of the pile he found you under.

“I know it may be uncomfortable, but trust me, it will help the fever break. The kettle just boiled, and I’ll make you some tea, so sit tight.”

The command is again, said with loving intent, and makes your heart float a little. He slips from the room, and you hear a beep and the sound of water pouring. Leaning back, you relish the feeling of cool, while missing some warmth. Nanami is back quickly, carrying some medication from the drugstore and a mug of sleepytime. 

“When did you-”

“Gojo gave me a call about your rather hurried exit today.” He answers, a hint of a laugh in his voice. He places everything on the bedside table before moving out of sight behind the door frame, and you hear his voice fade slightly before returning. 

“I- well, this is actually a little embarrassing. I’ve been tracking your cycle for a while now, and I noticed that your immune system tends to take a hit right at the start of your period. And, um, with cold season hitting its peak, I had an idea of some things you might need.” He’s been looking at the ground, and you can see that he’s half proud and half… something else. Ashamed? “I swear I didn’t think it was going to be this bad, I just wanted to come by with everything you’d need. Or, well, want.” from behind his back, Nanami pulls out a plush cat, similar to Mino in every way but two. One, it’s grey, not white. And two, it’s, um, portly. It looks like it weighs more than you’d expect. Nanami scoots next to you and places it on your stomach, eliciting a soft gasp of surprise from you. It’s weighted, for sure, but it's warm too. “You put it in the microwave. The saleswoman said it was full of rice and lavender, and since you like lavender I thou-” You cut him off, moving as quickly as you can over to him and pulling him down to you. He laughs at the sudden fall, but then gasps, rolling off of you. “Hey! You’re in a lot of pain, I’m not crushing you, too. Are-” He cuts himself off now, looking at the figure holding him and, shaking? 

“Y/n, darling, are you crying?”

You are, the tears pushing hot trails down your face. Your breath is shaky, and there’s something about this whole situation that makes you laugh.

“You’re so, sniff, you’re so wonderful.”

Nanami’s eyebrows knit together, and he smiles, pulling you closer to stroke your hair softly. His other hand lays flush against your back, and he begins gently running his kept nails against it, massaging your tired muscles. “Only for my girl.” He kisses your forehead and rests his cheek against the warm skin. “You work too hard not to be taken care of AT LEAST once a month.” He gives you a squeeze before leaning to the table and picking up the mug of tea with the tiny cup of cough syrup. 

“Now take a sip for me, and shoot this back, you’ll feel better.”

[gentaro-kinniecom]

˚✧₊⁎ Songs that I think fit the l&ds men⁎⁺˳✧༚

Characters: Rafayel, Sylus, Xavier and Zayne

C/w: none! (maybe explicit language in some songs?)

A/n: This is my opinion when it comes to what kind of songs they remind me off and their lyrics :] All links are directed to Spotify ! Then again thank you all so much for all the support regarding my works🥹🙂‍↕️✨

Rafayel ⁎⁺˳✧༚

1. Behind the Moon Shadow by Lamp

2. Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy by Queen

3. The less I know the better by Tame Impala

4. Candy by Baekhyun

5. Telepatia by Kali Uchis

6. Something about you by Eyedress & Dent May

7. Date by Soma Saito

8. Soledad y el Mar by Natalia Lafourcade & Los Marcorinos

9. Good looking by Suki Waterhouse

10. Round & Round by Nct U

Sylus ⁎⁺˳✧༚

1. Ride or Die, pt 2 by Sevdaliza, Villano Antillano & Tokischa

2. Fiancé by Mino

3. Criminal by Taemin

4. Always Forever by Cults

5. 505 by Arctic Monkeys

6. Romantic Lover by Eyedress

7. Dark Red by Steve Lacy

8. Luxurious by Gwen Stefani

9. Hotel California by Eagles

10. She keeps me up by Nickelback

Xavier ⁎⁺˳✧༚

1. Right side of my neck by Faye B Webster

2. Messages from the Stars by The Rah Band

3. Tempo by Exo

4. Sugar Sugar by Mamoru Miyano

5. Goddess by Beach Weather

6. Dream Girl by Crisaunt

7. Reflections by The Neighborhood

8. Dream by Baekhyun & Suzy

9. Like or Like Like by Miniature Tigers

10. Something Stupid by Frank Sinatra & Nancy Sinatra

Zayne ⁎⁺˳✧༚

1. Once more to see you by Mitski

2. Trauma by ms. isohp romatem

3. Show me how by Men I Trust

4. Oblivion by Grimes

5. Corduroy Dreams by Rex Orange Country

6. Where’d all the time go? by Dr. Dog

7. Me and my husband by Mitski

8. Seppun -Kiss- by Original Love

9. Numb by Men I Trust

10. Italo Disco by Last Dinosaurs

[aegagrusscholarship]

familiarity, the lack thereof, and the only way it could have ended.

the thing is, ultrakill is a very diegetic game. near everything, from the style meter to the bottomless arsenal to the shitass graphics themselves, are explained in some way by some in-universe fact.

so, what with violence and the implication that V1 was designed to counter earthmovers

what with 7-4 and the fact that it is a culmination of this implication

i wonder. when V1 looked up at that earthmover, did it know, with whatever passes for instinct in a machine, exactly what to do? and if it did, then, how is this conveyed to the player?

diegetic as the game is, how does it engineer a situation in which the player, themselves, knows exactly what they have to do?

the biggest factor, i think, is the fact that the earthmover's health bar appears the moment you lay eyes (or camera, or whatever) on it, and it does not leave until you have finally killed this colossus.

but this factor is much more subtle than it appears at first glance. yes, big honkin' boss healthbar on screen for the entire level, what more to it. there's a good deal more, it turns out.

first off- this is the shortest leadup by far to any bossfight in the game. you slide through a single vent, and you are greeted with benjamin right out in the open. even P-1, devoid of any other hazards as it is, gives you a long trek down the spinal staircase before you reach the flesh prison. 7-4 has none of it. you enter the level, you enter the stage, and there you have it. you know exactly what you are up against right from the outset, and it's not quite a feeling of familiarity but it tells you exactly what you have to do. which is the point of this all, isn't it?

7-4 is also... not a bossfight! it is a full level! it is a full level framed as a bossfight. the health bar frames this full complete level as a bossfight.

and on one hand, this is not new news. on the other hand, i think this is the crux of it. the thing is, most bossfights are near-to-entirely new. you do not know how the boss acts. you do not know their attack patterns. you do not know their capabilities. you are learning something new. levels, though, you have done a thousand times over and so the player knows how they need to play through this bossfight in a way that is not quite present with any other boss in the game.

the content of the level is new, of course, because that's how it goes. but you know the motions. you have done this for two acts prior, you know the motions. you know exactly what to do.

also! this level does not exist in a vacuum. what i am saying is this: the rest of violence layer shifts its storytelling and its tone and even its graphics. it is something completely new in contrast to the rest of the game. 7-4, though, returns to environments and graphics more akin to what you have experienced before, bringing you back to familiarity and again knowing what to do here in a way the rest of violence hasn't let the player experience.

one more thing about this level: it plays directly into expectations. which is something that the rest of the game actually does not tend to do.

the game, at base, is just not a typical FPS. it gives you movement like a roguelite or a platformer, it takes guns you expect to know the mechanics of and goes utterly wild with how far the archetype can be changed.

in a smaller scope, here is a comparison of the earthmover and the corpse of king minos as two separate colossal bosses foreshadowed in similar ways. and i mean, minos's bossfight isn't unprecedented in other works. but i think the thing that matters here is that you are not, in fact, the underdog as is the case with so many other bosses of its ilk. riven of many voices, destiny 2, similar bossfight similar scale. you are hiding from her you are a fireteam of many you are triumphing over a dragon larger than life. project gestalt, madness project nexus, you are pulling out every stop you can to take down something so far over your head (both literally and metaphorically). corpse of king minos- V1 looks up, stands its ground, and parries his god damn fist.

and the thing is, the earthmover plays into a different expectation, but it's playing into an expectation nonetheless. you look at this thing and you climb it and you dismantle it from within, like you have done in many games prior. you know what your goal is from the moment you see that healthbar and you hook onto the conspicuously placed hookpoints that tell you- you will climb this machine; you will fight your way up to whatever its core is and you will kill it. you play through the entire level with this expectation and you get exactly this expectation. you destroy its core and it begins a countdown, and so very many games have countdowns before the collapse of whatever level you have just beaten, and you know exactly what you have to do.

i don't know. i love diegetic storytelling. i love this level.

it's just familiarity, i think. this level runs off familiarity. it gives you, the player, things and tropes and designs you are familiar with. it signals to you that you should know what to do, and it lets you do exactly what you expect to do.

if i were any more cheesy i could absolutely end this by restating something about the only way it could've ended, but uh. i am not that cheesy. this time.

aw crud now i don't know how to end this oh well goodbye then

[persevereforahappyending]

Maybe in Another Life |13|

Pairing: Clarisse La Rue x Hunter of Artemis!Reader

Summary: You are a Hunter of Artemis, but you start to question what you truly want when you meet Clarisse and get to know her.

Warnings: Slight Battle of the Labyrinth Spoilers

Word Count: 2k+

Main Masterlist | Series Masterlist

ch. 1 | ch. 2 | ch. 3 | ch. 4 | ch. 5 | ch. 6 | ch. 7 | ch. 8 | ch. 9 | ch. 10 | ch. 11 | ch. 12 | ch. 13 | ch. 14 | ch. 15 | ch. 16 | ch. 17

“Where are you now?” Clarisse asked.

You took your eyes off the iris message, looking around at your surroundings. The Hunters had set up camp in the mountains. It was fall but still pretty warm, the leaves were all various shades of red and orange as they prepared to fall off their trees. There was a small waterfall flowing into a stream, that the native animals drank from. The sun was just beginning to set, so there was still enough light for Clarisse to see a bit of where you were.

“I’m not even sure which state,” you admitted. “The mountains and more south then north.”

“How’s it going?”

You shrugged. “The usual. We get a lead and then it runs dry. What about you, how are things there?”

You hadn’t seen Clarisse since you left her house after the labyrinth, which was at least six months ago. You still talked to her every week though, you actually seemed to talk to her more than you had been before.

“Good,” Clarisse said, nodding and smiling to herself. “Chris has been good.” Your mouth twitched, wanting to frown but you managed to keep your face as neutral as possible. “We’re actually about to go to the bonfire soon. Silena will not let me hear the end of it if I’m late again.”

Chiron ended up not being able to help Chris. They took him back to camp and after Percy and Annabeth had their adventure in the labyrinth Mr. D had returned to camp and cured Chris’s madness. He went ran into king Minos in the maze who was the one that caused him to go mad.

“That’s great,” you said, forcing a smile. “I’m glad he’s doing better and tell Silena I say hi.”

“Will do.” She had a soft smile on her face, something she seemed too only have around you. “Bye.”

“Bye,” you smiled before waving your hand through mist, ending the message.

You wanted Clarisse to be happy, even if that was with Chris. It’s not like you could ever be with her, you weren’t leaving the Hunters, and you had no right to hold her back from falling for someone else, you had no right to be mad at her. You were friends, you were the one that drew that line. None of that meant that it still didn��t hurt to see her getting along with someone else. You didn’t know when you’d see her again but listening to her talk about how Chris was doing was enough to tell you how happy she was.

“How’s it going?” Thalia asked as she walked up to stand beside you.

“It’s fine,” you said, giving her a little shrug. “Clarisse said Chris is doing better.” Thalia let out a little hum, you weren’t sure what it meant though.

“Annabeth says he’s been a great help with preparations for Luke.”

“He probably knows by now that Chris is back at camp.” You didn’t take your eyes off the horizon, watching as the sun slowly began to disappear behind the trees. “He had to have changed course.”

Thalia nodded. “Probably a little,” she admitted. It would be stupid and crazy for Luke to continue with his plan when Chris wasn’t on his side anymore. Even without Kronos guiding him Luke wasn’t stupid. “At the time though, his big plan was using the labyrinth which he’s already done.”

You nodded, that was true, Chris was one of the ones sent into the maze to figure a way through it. That was Chris’s main mission before he went crazy. “Attacking the camp was just a step,” you said. “War is coming.”

Thalia nodded. “Annabeth is about to call, care to join?”

You shrugged. You had been around for some of the calls with Annabeth, but you were usually off on your own or talking to Clarisse at the same time. Thalia and Annabeth went over a lot of plans and went over new developments if anyone has seen or heard from Luke, but otherwise there was no reason for you to join a call. More times than not the call started out talking about battle plans and then turned into two friends just catching up.

“Hey!” Annabeth greeted when her face appeared through the mist in front of you. “Oh, Y/N, hey!”

“Hey,” you said, giving her an awkward wave. “Hope you don’t mind, Thalia asked me to join.”

“No, no, of course. How have you been?”

“Good, just got off a call with Clarisse.”

Annabeth let out a little hum, flicking her eyes to Thalia for a second before back to you. “How’s she doing?”

You scrunched your eyebrows at that question. “Wouldn’t you know better? She’s at camp with you every day.” You knew Annabeth and Clarisse weren’t necessarily friends, but they had gotten closer when working on the labyrinth mission together and Clarisse was a head councilor, she always told you about councilor meetings and how annoying everyone was being or if they discussed anything serious.

“Well, yeah, but…” Annabeth shrugged. “She doesn’t really talk to anyone here.”

You furrowed your brow, you knew that wasn’t true, she talked about doing stuff with Silena all the time, she mentioned Chris more than once, much to your dismay, and she mentioned yelling at her siblings. “What are you talking about? She literally just told me she was going to the bonfire tonight.”

“Well, yeah,” Annabeth shrugged. “She might make casual conversation with select people.” You nodded, that sounded right, Clarisse wasn’t going around talking to just anyone. “But she doesn’t actually talk to anyone. Not about the labyrinth.” You looked down at the ground, the two of you talked about it occasionally, you figured she’d talk to the others about what happened. “She warned me and Percy and that was about it, she hasn’t talked about what happened down there.”

“Not even with Chris?” based on the glance Thalia gave you, you were sure you didn’t do a good job at hiding the bitterness in your voice. With how much time Clarisse had been spending with Chris you figured she was talking to him; she had been updating you on his condition every call until Mr. D healed him, even after that she still updated you on how he was integrating back into camp.

Annabeth shook her head. “She’s been helping him, but they don’t talk about that. Chris mostly talks to Chiron or even me and Percy.” You gave a small nod, you figured Clarisse had been spending her days training her siblings and hanging out with Chris, first helping him recover, and then just getting closer with him.

“The only one she really talks to is you,” Annabeth said. Your head snapped up; your eyes wide as you stared at Annabeth. “I haven’t seen her act that way in a while, except with you.”

You furrowed your brow. “She hasn’t acted any different?” Some of your conversations got a little more somber but Clarisse herself hadn’t changed, you still talked just as you had before.

“Exactly,” Annabeth smiled. She was giving you this look like that explained it all, like you were supposed to get something. “She’s not like that with anyone else.”

Your eyes found the ground again, you weren’t sure how long you stood there taking in Annabeth’s words. When you looked up you saw Annabeth and Thalia, both watching you, making you quickly clear your throat. “I’m going to…” you pointed back towards the camp and quickly turned on your heel.

You quickly made your way back to camp, taking a seat on a log next to the fire. Only a few of your sisters were still seated around it, some were already asleep, some were off somewhere else talking, and some were patrolling the perimeter. You hadn’t even been seated for a minute before the other Hunters got up and walked away from the fire without a word. You furrowed your brow; you knew you had been distant lately, but you didn’t think you were that bad of company. Your confusion was answered though when you left Artemis sit down next to you.

“You’ve been talking to that girl, Clarisse, a lot,” Artemis said.

You glanced at her out of the side of your eye, there were still times, like this time, when it felt strange to hear Artemis sound so serious, especially when she looked like a twelve-year-old. You had been with her for a thousand years and you didn’t have a problem with taking orders from your goddess, but there were certain times she got serious, and the subject sounded weird coming out of a twelve-year-olds mouth.

“She’s a friend,” you said, staring into the fire. If you turned to look at Artemis you knew she’d see right through you, see that you had feelings that went beyond friendship for Clarisse.

“You don’t make friends often.”

You chuckled. “I’ll have you know I think I’m quite likeable.”

“It takes awhile to warm up to you.”

You chuckled a little louder, shaking your head. That was fair, you tended to come off in not the best light upon first meetings. “I beat her in capture the flag. She was not happy,” you smiled at the memory.

You could feel Artemis’s eyes on you, but you couldn’t hide how happy the memory made you. “I bet a child of Ares took that well.”

You smirked, giving a little shrug. “She’s easy to annoy, you know how much I like that.” You turned your head, finally looking at her only to give her a knowing smirk.

“Yes,” she sighed. “I am more than aware how annoying you can be.”

You lightly chuckled but your smile slowly faded as the memories from camp continued to play through your mind. “We sparred for the first time after Zoe left on the quest,” you whispered. “She could keep up with me, not that she ever beat me.” You caught a small smile on Artemis’s lips. You were a daughter of Nike; you couldn’t let anyone even consider you’d lose.

“You’ve been different since you got back from the labyrinth,” Artemis said softly.

You knew she was testing the waters, seeing how willing you’d be to talk, how much you’d give her. “I almost died,” you whispered.

“There was some sort of monster, it had me,” you said, gesturing with your hands. “It had me, but then…” you let out a humorless chuckle. “Clarisse sacrificed her spear, her pride and joy, to save me. I owe her my life.”

“You care for her,” Artemis concluded, straightening her back.

“Yes,” you said instantly, staring Artemis in the eyes. You knew it was a risk, but you would not lie to your goddess.

“You were sent to pick up supplies but wandered off to help her with a mission.” You swallowed nervously. “Who are you loyal to?”

“You,” you said without hesitation.

“And if you had to sacrifice yourself?”

“Without hesitation.”

“If you had to choose between your sisters or your friend?”

You opened your mouth, but nothing came out. That was the first time you ever hesitated on that question. The truth was, if it came down to saving one of your sisters or saving Clarisse, you’d be conflicted. Either choice, you didn’t think you could live with yourself. You could tell by the slight tilt of Artemis’s head that she suspected this, she knew you’d hesitate on this question.

“I am a Hunter,” you said, your voice was quiet, but you refused to let it waver. “I am loyal to you, to Thalia, and to the rest of our sisters, first, above anyone or anything else.”

Artemis stared into your eyes, it felt like she was staring straight through you and into your soul. You remained strong though, holding eye contact with her and kept your head held high. It wasn’t a lie. You couldn’t deny it, you’d protect Clarisse with your life, but at the end of the day you were loyal to your goddess, she and your sisters came first, always.

“Okay,” Artemis said. She gave you a curt nod before getting up and leaving you alone by the fire.

You turned back towards the fire, staring into the flames as you thought about what had just happened. Artemis believed you; she knew your words were true, she knew you were loyal till the end.

Taglist: @cxcilla @danonered @touchmyfracturedomens @luclue @manu-007s-world @death-in-love @nenas19 @mynameiskaci

[mistbow]

“would you recommend this thing to others” my mode of enjoying things is that I enjoy things for what they are for me myself. who cares what other people think about what I like, we’re all different anyway that’s just a fact.