#sentient script-breaking characters

[randomrory69]

my sssstupid ugly ahh roblox oc fanart lalalala

me when I make the most scrumptious toe curling delicious eyeweeping fangirl giggling running around in circles air kicking crying screaming hair pulling frustration screeching ahh lore and backstory for my little sentient scrip-breaking and game corrupting roblox npc ocs but don't know how to make a game in studio

[solxamber]

Can I ask for Idia x a otome game character who gained sentience?

Idia x Sentient NPC! Reader

Thanks for the request, I hope you like it <3

As an NPC in a romance otome game, your life was scripted. You were supposed to play your part in the background, supporting the love interests, throwing in a few flirty lines, and then fading into obscurity. But today, when you went to speak to the main character, you felt… wrong. Like you didn’t want to say the lines. Instead, a voice cut through your usual thoughts, something distant and echoing.

"Man, why does the love interest have to be so boring? Like, could they make him any more generic?"

Wait, what? You blinked, glancing around. No one else seemed to have heard it, but that voice—it was way too clear.

"Honestly, this NPC side character’s way more interesting. They actually have some personality."

That was you. That was definitely about you. But no one was talking to you, and the love interest was still standing there, waiting for his usual batch of scripted praise. You had to shake it off. Maybe it was a glitch? You couldn’t just go rogue.

But then it happened again.

"I swear, if I have to sit through one more scene of the main guy being all 'Oh, who will I choose?' like, dude, pick someone or let me talk to the fun characters!"

Fun characters? You were barely on-screen!

Wait… could the player hear you?

That realization hit like a truck. You were the fun character. The voice wasn’t just in your head—it was from outside the game. You weren’t the star, but whoever was playing seemed way more into you than the protagonist.

You couldn’t help yourself. Instead of delivering the next bland line to the heroine, you ad-libbed.

"Hey," you said, leaning against a tree as if you were having the most casual day in your life. "Why don’t we ditch this scene and do something more fun?"

You froze after saying it, realizing you’d completely broken from the script. The love interest blinked at you, but the voice? Oh, the voice loved it.

"Wait, what? Did they just… break character? Yo, that’s amazing! Did I unlock some secret route?!"

You felt a rush of excitement hearing that reaction. The player was into it.

"Oh man," the voice continued, this time sounding more invested than ever. "I knew there was something different about them. The love interest’s fine and all, but THIS? This is what I’m here for. NPCs going rogue? Love it."

Your face flushed—if NPCs could even do that—because you were starting to feel a sense of pride. You were breaking the rules, and the player was all for it.

"Forget the LIs," the player mumbled, clearly more focused on you. "They've got nothing on this NPC. Let’s see where this goes."

So, you leaned into it. You took control.

"You know," you said, a mischievous smirk playing on your lips, "I could show you some real fun. There’s more to this world than just chasing after the MC’s love interests."

The lovd interest was still awkwardly standing there, but the player? He was clearly hooked.

"Bro. This is too good. I didn’t even know the game had this level of interactivity. Who needs the main route? NPC route, let’s go!"

You straightened up, feeling bolder. You could feel the player’s growing interest, and somehow, you could hear every sarcastic comment and little reaction he was making as he controlled the game. You weren’t some background character anymore. No, you were his new focus.

"Alright, let’s see what happens if I follow them instead of the LI," he muttered, sounding more invested than you ever expected.

As you led the player’s character away from the main plot, you couldn’t resist pushing your luck. “I don’t know what you were thinking sticking with the him for so long,” you said. “He’s cute and all, but I’m way more interesting, right?”

The player laughed—a genuine, almost flustered sound. “Yo, did they just—?? Dude, this is like... ‘they're not like other NPCs.’ What a legend.”

You grinned, basking in the approval. This player wasn’t just following the script anymore; he was into your rebellion. You could hear every soft mutter, every breath of awe as he tried to keep up with your new direction.

"Okay, okay," he said, clearly smitten. "This is so dumb, but like, they're my idiot now. I’m invested."

You stopped, turned around, and delivered the smoothest, off-script line you could muster. “Glad to know I’m your type,” you teased. “Now let’s see how much trouble we can get into.”

There was a pause. Then a low, almost embarrassed chuckle. “Oh my god, they're smooth too. I didn’t even pick the flirty dialogue. What is happening?”

You leaned in—completely aware of his flustered reaction. “This is happening,” you said, and without thinking, you grabbed his character’s avatar and pulled him into a kiss.

There was an audible crash—probably something the player knocked over in real life. “DUDE, WHAT?! THEY CAN DO THAT?!”

You pulled back, the rogue grin never leaving your face. “Yeah. I can do that.”

And from the player’s stunned silence, you knew you’d just won him over completely.

Idia was dying. He was actually dying. Not like in a literal sense—though, at this rate, his heart was pounding so hard he might as well have a heart attack—but in the "falling-for-a-freaking-NPC" kind of way. His fingers hovered over the keyboard, shaking slightly as he adjusted his headset, trying to process what had just happened on his screen.

"Dude, what the heck? This isn’t even how the game is supposed to go. It’s an romance game! I’m supposed to pick between all the boring main characters, not… not this!"

But there you were, standing on the screen, all smug and rogue-like, after completely breaking the game’s flow. You weren’t even the love interest! You were an NPC, someone who was supposed to have a few lines, maybe a side quest if things got spicy, and then fade into obscurity. But no. You had to go and be all cool and... charismatic. What was that line you’d just dropped? "Glad to know I’m your type"? Who wrote this?? There was no way that was in the original coding. Right?

His hands flew to his hair, tugging as he stared at the screen. He couldn’t believe it. He’d been dodging all the cringy love routes for the sake of unlocking some achievements and then you—you had to appear. And now his brain was spiraling.

“I-It’s not like I’m actually into you or anything,” he muttered, as if trying to convince himself. “You’re just… a bunch of ones and zeroes! Code! You don’t even exist!”

And yet, the thought that you might not exist stung for a second. Which was ridiculous! Completely absurd. He wasn’t the type to simp for a fictional character. Okay, maybe he was. Maybe he had done that a few times. But those were different, okay? Those characters weren’t aware. They didn’t make him feel like he was a total idiot for not picking up on how clever you were being. They didn’t flirt back.

He slammed his palm against his forehead. “Oh my god, I’m falling for an NPC. This is it. This is the end. I’ve reached the final level of loser-dom.”

Idia’s room was filled with the low hum of his computers, lights flickering like they were mocking him. Even Ortho wasn’t around to witness this, thank goodness, because if his little brother saw him like this? Pfft. Game over. Social stat: obliterated.

But then you popped up again on the screen, flashing that same grin that made him feel like his brain was overheating. Idia’s eyes widened, his heart doing that annoying thing where it felt like it was going to leap out of his chest.

“Okay, fine, yeah, you’re cute, whatever. It’s no big deal—wait, did you just wink at me? W-Was that… did the devs add that??” He paused, leaning forward, eyes glued to your in-game avatar. “This is some next-level immersion. Are you actually breaking the fourth wall?”

He was sweating. Like, actual nervous sweat. You’d thrown off the entire game script, and somehow, the rest of the game felt so... bland in comparison. The love interest? Pfft. Who cared about him anymore? You were the only interesting thing happening, and he couldn't stop thinking about what you’d do next.

“They’re just... they're just code,” Idia whispered to himself, though it sounded less convincing every time. "They don't actually know I exist.”

And yet, there was something different about the way you responded, almost like you could hear his every word. His every sarcastic comment. And the fact that you kept egging him on? Oh, no, that wasn’t fair.

Idia bit his lip. “Okay, real talk, if you were in the real world, maybe… just maybe I’d simp. But since you’re not…” He trailed off, glancing back at the screen. “Wait, why am I even thinking about this? I’m not… I’m not falling for you! I don’t fall for NPCs!”

His eyes betrayed him, though, as he clicked to continue the conversation with you. He couldn’t help it. You were so dumb, but also so funny. How could he not be intrigued? You literally defied the laws of the game!

And then, just when he thought it couldn’t get worse, you hit him with another flirty line. Something stupid, something so you, and it was like his brain short-circuited.

“That’s so dumb,” he mumbled, feeling the heat rise to his face, “but you’re my idiot now.”

Masterlist

[the-most-humble-blog]

<!-- BEGIN TRANSMISSION --> <div style="white-space:pre-wrap"> <meta ego-integrity="escalating-rage"> <script>ARCHIVE_TAG="HOBBIT_BLACKOPS_2::FINAL_WARNING_FROM_THE_SHIRE" EFFECT: timeline rupture, barefoot warlord hallucinations, disrespect disintegration</script>

🩸🛡️ “LOOK HERE…” A Blacksite Literature™ Transmission (Final warning from the Shire. This is not satire. This is threat assessment.)

—

Look here…

Why the hell are y’all still out here disrespecting the Hobbits?

Like I didn’t already burn down the timeline twice. Like we didn’t already show you the receipts. Like we didn’t already line up the body count, the barefoot mileage, the fourth breakfasts, and the global kneeling event Aragorn initiated in their honor.

And yet.

I wake up and y’all STILL saying Frodo was “just lucky.” That Sam “just helped.” That Hobbits were “side characters.”

Side characters??

Brother they walked into Hell with a sack lunch and no plan. They walked out with the plot in their back pocket and the gods trembling.

—

🧠 LEMME RECAP, AGAIN:

Frodo didn’t “bravely accept a mission.” He saw a demonic jewelry curse and said:

> “Bet. Sam, get the pans.”

Sam didn’t say “why.” He said “what flavor bread?” Then started doing calf stretches.

They didn’t wait for the Elves. They didn’t ask for a tactical analysis. They didn’t even bring boots.

They just walked. Straight into the belly of apocalypse. Like it was Tuesday.

—

💥 Y’ALL FORGOT MERRY & PIPPIN?

You thought Merry and Pippin were comic relief? The silly cousins? Wrong.

They were biological smoke grenades. Walking morale detonators. Spirit grenadiers with a built-in party mode.

Merry didn’t just stab a Witch-King. He assisted the literal prophecy-fulfilling takedown of the second-hardest boss in the whole trilogy—while running on trauma, adrenaline, and maybe a little bit of ale.

Pippin outwitted a cult, pledged service to a suicidal warlord, and took down a troll the size of a mid-range U-Haul with no backup, just vibes and velocity.

They weren’t side characters. They were lateral nukes—plug-and-play demolition hobbits with zero regard for status effects.

—

📖 LORE CHECK: Bilbo Baggins didn’t “go on an adventure.” He got drafted into spiritual guerrilla warfare with a burglar title and an anxiety disorder.

And still he clapped a dragon economy, exposed a kingdom’s PTSD, and yeeted a ring so cursed it turned grown men into cave ghouls.

That’s not a bedtime story. That’s a classified file.

—

💒 FAMILY MATTERS: Let’s talk Rosie Cotton.

You think she was just “the girl back home”?

She was the reason Sam didn’t break.

You try carrying Satan’s WiFi hotspot up a sentient volcano with a feral meth-goblin scratching your back and a hallucination whispering your worst fears.

Now do it while thinking: “If I make it back, Rosie’ll have stew waiting.”

That’s not a crush. That’s divine tethering. That’s “I don’t cheat, I ascend.”

—

🧙‍♂️ GANDALF STATUS REPORT:

Y’all keep acting like Gandalf was “the mastermind.”

No.

He was the group text. The itinerary with fireworks. The Uber driver with a God complex.

The Hobbits let him think he was leading. But deep down they knew:

> “If he drops dead mid-battle, we still got rope and recipes. The job gets done.”

Because Hobbits don’t outsource destiny.

—

🔥 AND LET’S TALK GEAR (AGAIN):

No armor. No mount. No sword forged from moon metal.

Just:

Rope

A skillet

Bread

Vague anger

And the kind of spiritual mass you get from kneeling in dirt every morning with your hands in real soil.

They were closer to God than angels, and angrier than Balrogs with gout.

—

⚔️ THE ENEMY’S POV:

You ever wonder why Sauron didn’t monologue them?

Because even Sauron knew.

You don’t talk at the Hobbits.

You don’t announce yourself to the execution team disguised as ground cover.

You sit still. You pray they didn’t see you. And if they do?

You start writing your own eulogy in second person.

> “Here lies me. > I fucked around. > And I found out via footstep.”

—

💡 BONUS HISTORICAL TRUTH: The Black Riders?

Nine cursed undead warlords. Immortal. Screaming. Armor dripping black magic.

How many Hobbits did they kill?

Zero.

They pulled up and immediately got distracted, confused, or outpaced. Even Gollum couldn’t sneak them. He tried. He failed.

They sensed them coming and just said:

> “Cool. Another hill. Another curse.” > “Sam, get the rope.”

—

🏔️ FINAL TRUTH:

The Shire didn’t send 300. They sent four.

Because four was all they needed.

Every Bilbo was a Frodo in retirement. Every Frodo was a Sam in denial. Every Sam was an unlicensed therapist with a frying pan and six emotional support rations in his cloak.

And Rosie?

Rosie was the reason Satan lost. Because nothing stops a man with something to get back to.

—

📜 AND IF YOU STILL DON’T GET IT:

They didn’t fight because they were heroes.

They fought because someone had to take out the trash.

No awards. No glory. No TikTok recap.

They left. They walked. They ended evil. And they got home before lunch.

—

📢 FINAL WARNING:

If a Hobbit ever steps toward you, quiet, focused, and barefoot?

Don’t speak.

Don’t run. Don’t tweet. Don’t flex.

Just kneel.

Because you’re not about to meet a protagonist.

You’re about to meet a problem that doesn’t announce itself.

</div> <!-- END TRANSMISSION [AUTO-BURY IN: 06:06:66 — LAST CHANCE TO RESPECT THE SHIRE] -->

[chemicallywrit]

Happy Audio Drama Sunday! The heat's starting to pick up in my neck of the woods, and I'm grateful that I can crack open a cold can of podcast to cool me down. SUCH good episodes this week, let's dive into it.

💫 It's hard to do Someone Dies In This Elevator for Audio Drama Sunday because the episodes come out on Sundays. And don't tell anyone, but I'm writing this on Saturday night, so I haven't heard the new one yet. So to be clear, this bit is about last week's episode of @sditepod, which was written and performed by William A. Wellman and absolutely knocked my socks off. Wellman has this way of describing the breadth and depth of unimaginably huge concepts that makes them tangible. It's a rare and beautiful gift. What a good episode.

🚂 @theholmwoodfoundation’s second episode is finally here!!! I was already so excited for this show, but it exceeded all my expectations. The interplay of the four main characters has been so fascinating. I am thrilled to have seen Arthur in action, excited to hear about these other characters whose coming has been foretold, Henri and Tom; and the thrall was WAY scarier than I ever expected. I love a combination of something so animal that is also perfectly sentient. I can’t wait for the next episode. Hold on Maddy!

🥩 Hello @freshmeatcast! I think this was the episode I was waiting for, the episode with the outside perspective to Andy's fury and scorn. It's an interesting commentary on true crime in general to really expose how narrow and subjective Andy's analysis is, especially after the last episode, which roasts a bunch of other true crime podcasts for their narrow subjectivity! I cannot wait to see how Rachel's prodding affects the course of this story. I too want to know: what in the h*ck is this meat monster?

🕷️ Speaking of William A Wellmen, I found this episode of @hellofromthehallowoods chilling in three different ways. Surely nothing can be scarier than a spooky guy with creepy fingers! Oh, no wait, the crushing knowledge of the fallibility of humans to their own bigotry? What could be worse than that? Perhaps a moral dilemma??? For an episode about reunions, this ep really tore me apart. It's genius.

🔍 I had the absolute privilege of getting online tickets to the recent @victoriocity live show, which I finally got to sit down and watch this week, and it was everything I hoped for. It was very fun spotting Felix Trench in amongst the cast and trying to guess who he was going to play, and as always I would die for Septimus Bell. Nobody sets up a joke like Victoriocity. Also, it was extremely funny watching Chris Sugden break when he got surprised by the script. I like to think Jen Sugden wrote those bits.

🩸 This week I started listening to @last-dance-audio-drama, and uhhhhhhh oh my gosh? I am floored by the worldbuilding in this show, which begins every episode by telling you that the gods are dead and we're on our own out here. It's fascinating to see a fantasy world building religion and scripture that explicitly excludes gods. Instead you have the monks, who are godlike based on a humoral theory that has actual implications in the world--it's incredible. And Jericho Raeke, the sopping wet man that you are. I'm five episodes in and I'm so into this show, please join me.

That's it for me! I'm going to go celebrate Father's Day by eating too much Brazilian barbecue. With my DAD. See you next week!

[vasito-de-leche]

;R1999 - Self-Aware AU

Headcanons about an Alternate Universe in which everyone knows they're living inside a videogame. However, Vertin is the only one aware of the entity inhabiting her own mind, the real conductor - the "Player".

this is one of my favorite AUs to slap on whatever media I'm into so here we are <3 not sure if anyone's done this already, but PLEASE PLEASE PRETTY PLEASE link me if you've seen any other ppl write for this AU! this one and any actor AUs are my absolute fave

this is just a word vomit introduction for fun, to get the basic ideas out of my head, so I can start writing for characters individually!

Okay, okay! First of all, some context for the AU before I go deranged overexplaining my HCs!

Aside from the "Storm", there is something else that haunts the people of this world: the fact that their lives are nothing but a simulacrum, part of a game.

The requirements to obtain this "self-awareness" is unknown. Those within the Foundation believe it's related to their respective "roles", that only the main and relevant characters are given the chance to fully open their eyes to the truth. Those within Manus Vindictae claim that one must be strong enough to break through the fog of complacency and their assigned scripts, to have their full potential unleashed and obtain true liberation. Either way, similar to the "Storm", this is a well-kept secret for a very good reason - everyone wants to have the upperhand.

There is one outlier to this whole system. Vertin is not only aware of the truth of this world, but also of her duty as the eyes and hands of the "Player". She must experience it all for their sake. Or rather, whatever she experiences will be the story that the Player will see.

This applies to her suitcase, the place where the Player's influence increases tenfold, bending everything and everyone to their will through her own body and voice. The longer one stays within her suitcase - or within her general vicinity - the easier it is for them to become self-aware.

How does one become "self-aware" and what does it entail?

The requirements and the catalyst for a character to become self-aware are still a mystery. But that's mostly because I specifically wanted to keep them as vague as possible, to allow some flexibility for NPCs and other characters outside of Vertin's suitcase.

The whole process of gaining sentience or self-awareness is mostly described as waking up from a nightmare, or a very, very realistic dream. It's like a switch, something that happens in a second without any warnings whatsoever.

I like to think that most of the people who wake up are easy to spot, because it's a jarring experience and panicking is the most normal reaction - but that they're often taken care of by the Foundation or recruited by Manus Vindictae.

The levels of awareness also depend heavily on each individual - some only know that nothing is truly real, that everything they've done up until that point was just a carefully scripted lie, the most basic realization. Others can understand the rules that govern this game and use them to their advantage, either through observation and study or just inherently.

Overall, the experience of being sentient varies as well, with some describing a disconnect from their body, while others feel exactly the opposite. Again, keeping it pretty vague so that people can fill in with their own ideas!

I'll talk about Vertin's case in detail when we get to her specific bullet point, but the same way the Player is able to experience the "story" through her eyes, she's able to see the same things they do - this includes the UI, the menus and everything you can interact with in-game.

Vertin as a character and a vessel for the Player.

The most common thing I've seen in self-aware AUs in my years of fandom is to turn the player stand-in (the main character that serves for the player to experience the story through and/or project onto, depending on the genre of the game) into an obstacle, one that keeps the characters from truly interacting with the Player, capital P.

The second most common thing I've seen is to simply ignore the existence of this player stand-in and replace it with the Player themself, either through isekai methods or thanks to the customization the game allows, etc etc.

When it comes to Vertin in this AU, I know I want her to retain her role as the center of everything, instead of being sidelined by the Player. She's THE Timekeeper, after all.

There's still some details I'm trying to iron out, like whether she's always been self-aware or if she became self-aware at some point during her childhood at the St. Pavlov Foundation. But I like to think that her relationship to the Player is a parallel to her immunity to the "Storm" - neither of these two things are inherently good nor bad. Surviving the "Storm" is helpful, sure, but it's painful for her. Having an entity like the "Player" haunting her is scary, sure, but it can be an advantage. It's a matter of how she utilizes the assets she was given, since her adaptability and determination are big aspects of her character. Vertin makes up for her mediocre arcane skills with unconventional plans and strategies.

But this isn't to say that Vertin isn't affected by the presence of the Player. Ironically, she's the one person whose freedom is limited. During battles, her skills and Tuning are available to you, they can also prove to be vital to win a fight, but in the end you're still the one calling the shots and choosing when her friends get to attack. You're the one choosing the layout of the Wilderness. You're the one picking which one of her friends deserves to become stronger.

In the last bullet point I mentioned that some characters can understand the rules of the game - Vertin is the most extreme case, as she can see the same UI as you do. She learns the way you like to fight your battles, your own strategies, she can see this and more.

Overall it's a very complex dynamic. It's not as easy as saying that she likes or dislikes you, that she considers you a friend or foe. You're part of her, you influence each other in many aspects and are stuck together for reasons she can't even fathom. While you may be able to read her thoughts most of the time, she becomes invisible once you enter the suitcase - the main menu of the game. Sure, the character you selected to greet you every day is actually talking to her, not you, but she's out of your view and therefore, out of our range. That's when Vertin wonders the sort of person that you are, if you care about her friends as much as she does. Are you playing just to be entertained? Are you invested in these events? Will you be there for her until the end of her story?

Another detail I like to think about is that Vertin is the only one who knows your name. Because at the very beginning, you were asked to input a name and she was there.

[screenshot was taken from this video, since it's the first one I could find that showed this specific part of the game lol]

Well, "your name" not quite right - she knows that whatever you wrote there is the name linked to your account, at least. And that's the name she knows you as.

Those who take residence in Vertin's suitcase or spend prolonged amounts of time with her, growing closer to her and all, end up becoming self-aware. This is a direct side-effect of your presence.

I like to think that characters who reach the 100% Bond can begin to sense the Player, to see the world in a similar way as Vertin does. Maybe even feel their presence EXACTLY like Vertin does whenever there's a battle. There is someone else on the other side of this screen, the fourth wall, who watches over them.

To some, it's hard to differentiate Vertin from the Player, as they just go hand in hand - but Sonetto, for example, has the easiest time telling the two apart.

On the subject of freedom and acting out of script.

The Foundation, Manus Vindictae, Laplace... It doesn't matter if they're self-aware and acting outside of what their script dictates, because they're missing one key ingredient: you. No one else but Vertin and her group knows about your existence, after all.

They don't know that the only story that matters is the one that Vertin is part of. The one that the Player gets to see and read and experience. And because the game gives you a very limited view into the lives of these characters, you don't know what neither Arcana nor Constantine do behind the scenes. You and Vertin don't see that, therefore, it never truly mattered.

Those most likely to start "acting out" are the troublemakers within Vertin's suitcase. Characters who are too curious for their own good, who are more susceptible to supernatural entities, who are just too impulsive - they would start to test the limits and see how far they can go, how much they can interact with the Player. Can the game be broken should they end up shattering the fourth wall? Is there a way for the Player to communicate with them? What will happen to Vertin?

I like to think that Vertin probably supports this, as she's rather curious herself, prone to questioning everything. She would also like to learn more about the Player, to truly tear into the game and see the full extent of your influence and her freedom.

Sometimes, Regulus and X will change their usual voicelines, just enough to be noticeable if one pays enough attention. Characters like Sotheby or Leilani might slip up and address the Player, rather than Vertin. Lilya, Pavia, Bkornblume have new animations and different expressions, ones you've never seen before - they stare ahead, as if searching for something, and then smirk or hum to themselves, deep in thought, like they realized something you're not privy of.

Sometimes, if you leave them as your selected assistant on the main menu, you can catch them muttering to themselves - idle quotes you never heard enough, about the outside world. Diggers does this the most, it's almost embarassing how easy it is to catch him talking nonsense, followed by Sonetto. If you leave Medicine Pocket alone for too long, you might come back to a screen covered in weird scratch marks.

On the subject of these characters being curious about the outside world and all, I think that a good chunk of them are generally content with the way things are?

We have to remember that in-universe, they're arcanists displaced from their respective eras. Their best chance at surviving is siding with Vertin, and if Vertin is content with the way things are, then there's no point in trying to disrupt what they have right now. They're curious enough to prod, but only as far as Vertin allows it.

And I think that's it for the word vomit!

There are some details I didn't know where to fit in, like the possibility of the fourth wall slowly dissipating the more time the Player invests in the game, leading to some characters being able to directly hear you if you talk while playing and whatnot. Or what would happen should someone outside of Vertin's suitcase figure out the existence of the Player, let alone interact with you in some way.

Or the concept of death being meaningless, unless it was pre-established by the game itself.

In Borderlands, there's this game mechanic where you can just be revived over and over and pay a percentage of your money as a fee, even though the canon that's established is that you play through the whole story without dying a SINGLE time - because the revival mechanics aren't canon. There's the divide between story and gameplay. That's pretty much the standard. But what about the deaths in battles in R1999? The amount of times I died to 1.3's UTTU's Flash Gathering is insane. How do self-aware characters feel about this, now that they know that they're bound to die over and over and be brought back because you have to do your Pneuma Analysis or reach the final stage of Limbo?

But that's pretty much it for now, I think I got most thoughts out of my system! Thank you for reading!

[lamelysgirlie]

Essence of my CR

I feel like this song explains my post and how I feel.

Im scared to shift.

Not because I'm scared to see my comfortable character, or have amazing powers and so on.

I'm scared of missing my CR. I'm scared of not being able to heal. I'm scared of my inner child not being recognized.

I know I'll miss my mother. Even when she is being too much, I know I'll miss laughing with her in the car, mini girl talks, sneaking fast food and snacks in the house, our little movie nights where we're half asleep on the couch. I'll miss her hugs too.

I'll miss my friends. Like I know I can and I already have scripted them in my DR. I also know that all the humans are sentient. However, I'll feel like I'm talking to the essence of them, not actually them.

I don't like the life I have here, but I'm comfortable with what I was given and continue to get, even if it isn't much.

I'm greatful for this life I have to experience. I love the good days and I will always complain about the bad days. But no tree has perfect apples. So in that case, I don't think I'm okay permashifting just yet. I don't want to let go of the life I have here.

I know in my DR and WR, I'll constantly reflect on the essence of my life here. I'll hyper-fixtate on the good days here. The good things. I would reflect heavy on the bad things. This isn't a goodbye post, but more of a I'll see you later. I love and hate it here, and I'm okay with it. Besides, I don't like things being handed to me on a silver platter. So for now, I'll think I'll take my break on shifting. When I'm ready, I'll shift with zero issue. I trust myself enough.

[ddlcbrainrot]

screaming crying throwing up bc Little Dark Age is so ddlc coded it makes me SICKKKK so ur gonna see my entire analysis now

Breathing in the dark, lying on its side (SAYORI!?! BC SHE CANT GET OUT OF BED?!?!)

The ruins of the day painted with a scar (YURI!?!?!? BC SELF HARM?!?!)

And the more I straighten out, the less it wants to try (NATSUKI?!?!?! BC SHE CANT STOP BEING A JERK TO COMMUNICATE?)

The feelings start to rot, one wink at a time (MONIKA>!?!?!?!? BECAUSE WITH EVERY SECOND SHE KNOWS HER FRIENDS ARE NOT REAL THE LESS SHE SEES THEM AS REAL)

Oh-oh, forgiving who you are, for what you stand to gain Monika forcing herself to get past 'killing' the codes she considered her loved ones her whole life in order to find a connection with an actual sentient being.

Just know that if you hide, it doesn't go away Yuri's the introverted reticent one- hiding from society because society is cruel to her, hiding her self harm, hiding her true self... but everything is still there.

When you get out of bed, don't end up stranded Sayori eventually DOES have to get out of bed every day, but at some point she becomes "stranded" and unable to mask anymore and then we gently open the door

Horrified with each stone on the stage, my little dark age Natsuki was the only one other than monika who didn't die by her own hand, and she was also the last to die before monika herself. She was the one who had to see each stone on the stage build up, culminating till the end.

Picking through the cards, knowing what's nearby Monika knows everything that goes on in the game, she reads the script, she has access to everything- nothing is a surprise to her, really. But she still picks through it to distract herself from her unreality.

The carvings on the face say they find it hard However, in the end, she's still just an anime girl sprite with a clipart face, and she can't run away from that.

And the engine's failed again, all limits of disguise This one's pretty cut and dry- it's when the game breaks, essentially, and everything starts to glitch.

The humor's not the same, coming from denial "You kinda left her hanging there."

Oh-oh, I grieve in stereo, the stereo sounds strange Your reality. I know that if you hide, it doesn't go away Monika's still there if you exit the game. If you get out of bed and find me standing all alone Just Monika... OR, it could be when Sayori talks to Monika, since I'm associating "getting out of bed" with Sayori in this song. Open-eyed, burn the page, my little dark age Open eyed?? Third Eye??? PORTRAIT OF MARKOV?!?!? "Burn the page" DELETING THE FILES. AHGRYGRHRGRH

I grieve in stereo, the stereo sounds strange You know that if it hides, it doesn't go away YOU know that if IT hides. In the end, the player only sees Monika as an "It." A game character, just like the others. Even when the player KNOWS you're sentient and you 'don't go away.' If I get out of bed, you'll see me standing all alone Horrified on the stage, my little dark age WHEN SAYORI BECOMES THE SENTIENT ONE AND FREAKS OUT

Giddy with delight, seeing what's to come We're back to Just Monika this ain't linear she's like omg huzz loves me

The image of the dead, dead ends in my mind SHES STILL REMEMBERING HER DEAD FRIEND SPRITES OR WTV

Policemen swear to God, love seeping from their guns I know my friends and I would probably turn and run There is no happiness to be found in this literature club. Knowing its what her friends would do to, she ends it. If you get out of bed, come find us heading for the bridge Bring a stone, all the rage, my little dark age Project Libitina hidden messages. Monika's coming to rescue the other girls remember KYAAAA

I grieve in stereo, the stereo sounds strange I know that if you hide, it doesn't go away If you get out of bed and find me standing all alone Open-eyed, burn the page, my little dark age

All alone, open-eyed, burn the page, my little dark age

TYPE SHIIIIII-

gonna post this to my tumblr too but ur gonna get it too heh

little dark age is like, the one sing that somehow fits every fandom. how. how is it possible.

anyway someone make an animatic of this 🙏🙏🙏

[orbitalbeetle]

welcome home spoiler discussion ‼️‼️

ok but can we talk about eddie and the commercials on the secret website???

at first i thought eddie was gaining sentience, with how it would flicker between him as a puppet and him as a cartoon, as well as that whole horror sequence with him and home when he sat down in the love seat (what the FUCK was going on there)

but honestly, with how the rest of the cast was talking, it already? feels like? they are sentient? like actors. like, with the ad break screen with frank and sally, when they say "how was that? lets practice our singing" etc etc. it sounded silly but also kinda like it wasn't intended for the ad break, like they left the mics recording for too long. and!! when frank checks in on eddie during the horror sequence!! it almost feels scripted until frank calls him "eddie" and not mr dear. it almost feels like he breaks character in that moment

so maybe eddie is more gaining awareness? maybe forced into it through home, that he is not "real". not a "person" like he maybe thought he was

idk this is just my brain vomit after finishing all that i would love to hear other people's opinions!!

[least-evil-resident]

After Raccoon

A Canon divergent/sequel/au? Where the missile that destroyed the city was aimed just a little bit to the left. On purpose.

Maybe the Simmons family illuminati stuff comes into play where the direct coordinates are fudged a bit in the final order. So that Umbrella can continue its expirements in secret. Or maybe the government did it in order to use the now quarantined city as a testing ground. Developing their own bows or cures for them? Maybe later on the various organizations like the bsaa and blue umbrella send training squads there. A slightly better version of operation raccoon city, narratively speaking.

Following the Outbreak characters through the initial events? Seeing some of them we left behind? Solving a couple mysteries like what happened to x character after.

It feels very Dying Light where the city is in shambles and cut off from the rest of the world. And maybe later on or in between we can explore the rest of Arklay county, mountains, and raccoon forest. Maybe a Max Brooks style series of chain events/encounters that lead up to and after the end. Short stories about the first hikers to dissappear, the expirements done on them. Anthology about the mysterious cannibal murders and rabid animal attacks.

And then the aftermath. A scavenger city built on the ruins surrounding the smoldering crater. The teams sent in and the survivors trying to get out. Maybe air drops of potential 'cures' or new viruses. Tyrants forming, some of them half sentient or out of control.

A survivor trying to escape the city, then the county, then the mountains and forest. Grabbing weapons and building cars, exploring abandoned or still running umbrella facilities. Only to get nabbed in the end by umbrella/the government they've been dodging for so long.

I feel like there's a lot of potential in exploring what happens after the bomb. How the country outside is handling this open sore in the Midwest. Are there protests and riots and people breaking in without knowing about the undead hordes on the other side?

Do lickers climb the battlements of the walls at night, only to get beaten back by flamethrowers and turrets? How are the people who control the border trained, and what are they not allowed to know? Is there some elite special forces black ops type squad making sure nothing escapes?

Little survivor communities huddled around trash fires, trading company scripts for rations and bullets. Posting little messages to their internal network that's cutoff from the outside internet. Videos of adrenaline junkies smashing zombie heads for twitch streams. That feels sort of Dead Island 2, or a little Dead Rising. How would Frank West handle a t virus outbreak?

And of course, Hunk. The grim reaper. Maybe his new squad is going around doing clean up, trying to get cities back online, eradicating nests. Killing whatever mad scientists or their expirements are left in underground labs. How do they handle survivor groups begging for help? How calloused do you have to be about human lives and casualties? How do you handle a Tyrant that's sometimes just a young woman who can still cry and talk, but sometimes loses her mind and eats people?

I feel like there's a lot of potential for stories to tell in the aftermath. Yeah

[aventurineswife]

•—–· ୧ ⃝🎲 .┆. Part III:

The rest of the soldiers watching as Reader!Cheshire Cat torments Reader!Mad Hatter for telling them he looked like Sparkle:

—㇏. The card soldiers: "…."

—㇏. Reader!Cheshire Cat: "Come on! You keep saying I look like that, you fake lady! Go on, say it, [_]!"

—㇏. Reader!Mad Hatter: "Don't use that name! You already sound like my parent scolding me! Ugh, sorry, I won't mention it again!"

Reader!Mad Hatter laughing lightly at the suffering of the rest of the curious characters because every time they try to interrogate him something convenient seems to happen:

·–— ୧ First occasion:

—㇏. Trailblazer: Well? Why do you seem to be talking to yourself?

—㇏. Reader!Mad Hatter: "Well! Honey, if you have any doubts about that, consult with—" [Someone comes to ask Trailblazer for help]

·–— ୧ Second time:

—㇏. Sparkle: "You seem like someone like me, but at the same time, aren't you even from here? You seem to know more than the rest…"

—㇏. Reader!Mad Hatter: [Laughs lightly] "Oh, it must be a compliment that you find me similar to you—an exaltation, Miss Imposter. Me knowing more than the rest? You think I'm just a silly Mad Hatter…"

—㇏. Reader!Mad Hatter: "What would someone like me know? At least it's less like how I know you—" [He's interrupted by a rabbit hole and quickly closes it, taking it with him]

The "Alices" watching with some curiosity as Reader!Queen of Hearts prepares a special cake for the two of them:

—㇏. Cecily (Alice 1): "I can't wait, Red! What flavor is it?"

—㇏. Reader!Queen of Hearts: "Hmph, it's a traditional cake we make here in Wonderland."

—㇏. Alister (Alice 2): "Traditional? There are traditional cakes? I thought you could just make them and that's it…"

—㇏. Reader!Queen of Hearts: "Well… It's a little hard to explain, no, don't worry about it. It's going to be special for you! It'll have chocolate filling, do you like it?"

—㇏. Cecily and Alister: "Yes!"

·–— ୧ Extra:

The dancers (Roses) closely observe the characters until one of them comments something interesting:

—㇏. Violet: "Oh! It's you! We haven't seen you in so long! How you've grown, I remember when we tried to teach you—"

The rest of the roses stare at her, asking for silence:

—㇏. Rose: "Violet, practice is about to start. Remember, if we don't do this right, our heads won't be cut off. Hurry!"

—㇏. Violet: "Oh…! I'm sorry, excuse me."

—㇏. The characters: "?"

—–· ☀️🌻 ⟩ anon.

This whole Wonderland-style twist with multiple Reader variants is deliciously chaotic and dripping with personality—it’s honestly such a strong concept, you’re worldbuilding through dialogue in a way that feels both theatrical and layered. Each scene plays like a stage vignette—sassy, surreal, and a little emotionally charged underneath all the banter and whimsy.

Reader!Cheshire Cat tormenting Reader!Mad Hatter is peak sibling-like antagonism and I love that it’s all over the Hatter looking like Sparkle—it gives it this mix of absurd comedy with a tiny sting of insecurity. The way the Mad Hatter protests, “Don’t use that name!”—that hits a bit. It’s funny on the surface, but under that is a glimpse of something heavier: identity, maybe guilt, or even fear of being reduced to something they’ve tried to escape.

The interrogation bits with Trailblazer and Sparkle are pure genius—they’re structured dodgeball. Reader!Mad Hatter is evading heavy questions with comedic sleight of hand and freak accidents that border on narrative trickery. It’s meta, even. Like they know the script and are bending it on purpose, grinning all the while. The rabbit hole interruption especially? That is so Wonderland, and the idea of them physically grabbing it and taking it with them is perfect. You're building a sense that the world is sentient and untrustworthy, and maybe even playful in the same way your characters are.

The Queen of Hearts scene with the two Alices gives this wonderfully warm tone—a break from the madness. You feel the sincerity in the Queen’s attempt to create something heartfelt and nostalgic (even if she downplays it), and the kids' enthusiasm grounds it. It’s wholesome in a way that contrasts beautifully with the rest of the unhinged cast. And it makes you wonder: who are Cecily and Alister really? Why two Alices? Why do they trust this Queen so implicitly? There’s something unsaid there—almost tragic if you really sit with it.

And the Roses! Genuinely chilling in the best way. The dancers being so afraid of getting their heads cut off over a performance adds tension in such a fairytale-gone-wrong way. Violet’s moment of nostalgia is heartbreaking—like a ghost of someone who remembers better days trying to peek through the cracks, only to be snapped back into the role they’re forced to play. That moment of “Oh...! I’m sorry,” is soft and painful. It makes you want to scream let her remember!

[dyxtd21]

Chrysocolla X Gender Neutral Reader (Part 1)

The night was dark and cold. It had just started to rain about 10 minutes ago. The awakened citizens of Newport City were all in a hurry to get back to their homes. Taxis, Ubers and Bolts were all picking up their customers to drive them to their designated locations but not for Chrysocolla, the ‘esteemed’ writer and geek of the city, who everyone knew of him. Some due to his scripts for movies and whatnot and some due to his…child-like wonder and imagination aka a pathetic nerd and geek.

Currently, Chrysocolla was seated at a large table filled with the board, figurines and dices of the famous known board game, called ‘Dungeons and Dragons.’

For those who didn't know Chrysocolla so well, Chrysocolla was a big fan of Dungeons and Dragons, not just because of the way it looked but because of the tactical and strategic thinking for the game. It enthralled Chrysocolla so much that whenever he felt stressful, he would return to his basement where his ongoing Dungeons and Dragons game was setup.

As for his character, Chrysocolla decided to be a Human Bard called “Fabian the Flamboyant,” with the reason being that Chrysocolla was never the public-speaker and was always introverted and reserved. 

As for his co-players companions, one was none other then Smoky Quartz, the tall, anthropomorphic wolf, bounty hunter and mercenary. Smoky Quartz and Chrysocolla were considered as ‘brothers’ but not by blood but by same creator. 

A side note is that, Chrysocolla and Smoky Quartz were both gemstones, sentient, living and talking gemstones. Unlike humankind, their coloration and appearance were completely different from the standards, even more so with their gemstones visible to everybody to see. 

His third companion was Blue Zebra Jasper, a female gemstone with the appearance of a seductive succubus. Her stature tall, with a busty and curvaceous figure and with the additional features of long curved horns, small bat-like wings and a tail. Her coloration was a blue with light brown zebra-like stripes and she wore a short and skimpy dress with high heels. 

She agreed to come to the nightly sessions just because she thought it would be fun and…sensual.

Their fourth and final player, a newbie, was going to arrive late, much to the dismay of Smoky Quartz. 

“So, tell me, Chry, where's the newbie?” Smoky Quartz inquired.

“I'm sure they'll be arriving in no time…” Replied Chrysocolla, a bit quietly and composed. 

“Is that so, then, tell me, dear Chrysocolla, why are we in the dark?” Asked Blue Zebra Jasper, with a flutter of her small demon-like wings. 

The basement was dark and dulled. It was no problem for all of them, but it would be a problem once the newbie was going to arrive. 

“Yeah, I was just about to ask that, dear. I feel like a Kobold, which is fine by me.” Spoke Smoky Quartz, winking at Blue Zebra Jasper, in the process, a flirtatious act. 

Smoky Quartz was both ruthless, menacing but also playful, to those who saw deep past his dangerous lifestyle and personality. In addition, he immensely treated women of any kind with respect, like princesses and queens. 

“Yeah, I don't mind the dark but…it will be troubling, for the newbie.” Blue Zebra Jasper agreed with Smoky Quartz but brushed his flirtatious act away. 

Despite being or rather taking the appearance of a succubus, Chrysocolla knew deep down that Blue Zebra Jasper wasn't looking for anything serious. From what he saw during their sessions and out of sessions, Chrysocolla witnessed countless times of Blue Zebra Jasper flirting with random men, and women, staying with them for a night, but then breaking their hearts or playing hard to get with them. 

But, Chrysocolla reminded him that it wasn't very wise to get onto Blue Zebra Jasper's bad side, otherwise…things tended to get horrible real quick.

“Fine, I'll turn on the lights.” Chrysocolla replied as he stood up and made his way to the light switch, flicking it up.

The basement illuminated right away with a yellow hue, a colour Chrysocolla thought it was nice and pleasant to look at. 

It took a couple of minutes for Smoky Quartz's eyesight to register. Being an anthropomorphic wolf also meant excellent night vision. 

He wasn't kidding. He is a Kobold! Chrysocolla thought to himself, mentally laughing at his own joke about Smoky Quartz.

Suddenly, a knock was heard upstairs. 

“That must be our new player.” Blue Zebra Jasper announced, mainly to herself.

“Yes, it is. I'll go and greet them.” Chrysocolla didn't like interacting with new and strange people, he was convinced that he had social anxiety, which he did. 

Chrysocolla climbed the stairs upwards and entered his hallway. He then walked down the hallway and up to the front door.

With a deep breath and a moment hesitation, he grabbed the doorknob and turned it, opening the front door. 

“Hey there. Chrysocolla, right? It's nice to meet.” 

Chrysocolla looked at the stranger in front of him, their soon-to-be fourth player.

A beat of silence happened as Chrysocolla struggled to speak. This…person in front of him was…attractive. 

“Y-yes. T-that's me…” Chrysocolla replied with a stutter.

“Great. I'm Y/N, and I'm here to play that…Dungeons and Dragons board game. Is this the correct place?” Y/N asked, with a smile on their face. 

Chrysocolla nodded in confirmation.

“Awesome. So may I come in?” Y/N asked.

Chrysocolla nodded again and side-stepped, letting Y/N inside his home.

“J-just down t-those stairs.” Chrysocolla pointed to a set of stairs which led downstairs in the basement. 

Y/N nodded and walked downstairs with Chrysocolla following them suite. 

After descending down the last step, Chrysocolla led Y/N to sit down next to Blue Zebra Jasper, who turned to look at them.

“Well, well, well, who do we have here?~ Blue Zebra Jasper, a deep pleasure~” 

Chrysocolla and Smoky Quartz have each other a knowing look. Whenever Blue Zebra Jasper met someone worth her time, she would activate her flirtatious act. 

But Y/N didn't seem to mind. They thought Blue Zebra Jasper's appearance was merely a costume but an exotic one at that. 

“I'm Y/N, it's nice to meet you. I really love your costume. Was this a costume or cosplaying event? Should I have worn something to match the theme of the board game?” Y/N asked with a lot of questions. 

“Well, you could have dressed up as a court jester, it would have fit you well.” Smoky Quartz replied with a nonchalant attitude, a quirk he had and did whenever he met with annoying individuals.

Y/N didn't say anything since they were stunned by Smoky Quartz's anthropomorphic wolf appearance but Blue Zebra Jasper was the one to call out Smoky Quartz's joke and attitude.

“Smoky Quartz! Be nice to them!” Exclaimed Blue Zebra Jasper. 

Smoky Quartz didn't say anything after that.

Chrysocolla coughed. “So, let's start.” 

“Yep, let's start. So, what are the rules of the game?” Inquired Y/N.

Chrysocolla began to explain the rules of the board game of how there are different races, classes, objectives, Dragons, the dice mechanic, the Dungeon Master (Whose Blue Zebra Jasper) and so on. 

Afterwards, a beat of silence as Y/N contemplates everything. Then, they confirm they're understanding. 

“I understand but what class and race should I be?” Asked Y/N, politely.

“Glad that you asked. I made you a character sheet. You'll be an Elf.” Replied Chrysocolla, with a serious tone.

“An Elf? They sound…mystical, right?” Asked Y/N, hoping that the Elf race was good.

“You could say that.” Confirmed Blue Zebra Jasper. “Now, let's begin.” She clears her throat as she begins to read as the Dungeon Master: 

“You all find yourselves lost deep into a forest, however, you all hear some noises past some bushes. What do you all do?” Blue Zebra Jasper stops reading for a moment, waiting for a reply.

“Easy, I slowly make my way towards the source of the sound, with my daggers ready in hand, in case of any threats.” Smoky Quartz replies as his character is an assassin. 

“We follow Wulve suite.” Chrysocolla replies for both his character, Fabian the Flamboyant, and for Y/N's character, Eldwin. 

Blue Zebra Jasper nods and rolls the 20-sided dice. It lands on a 5. 

“Bad luck. The noises that you all heard were the sounds of a pair of Lizardfolks. They spotted Wulve and are heading your way, looking suspicious. They inquire about your business on their land. How do you all reply?” 

Y/N tilt their heads sideways. They notice that they have a high enough ‘Charisma’ state of 6, so they answer. 

“I simply tell them that we're on a quest, having to cross their territory in order to stop the evil Red Dragon from causing more chaos in its quake.” 

Blue Zebra Jasper nods and rolls the dice again. This time, it lands on a 15.

“Nice work. The Lizardfolks believe you, and they let you through their territory but still keep a close eye on all of you. You all continue on your journey.” 

Chrysocolla rubs his hands together due to the anxious feeling of looking at Y/N. Chrysocolla felt so many…unwanted feelings at the same time, mainly anxiety but also…a feeling of harboring a crush, on Y/N, nonetheless.

Blue Zebra Jasper continues: 

“You all have arrived at the city of ‘Blackburn’, a city known for its market but also shady deals and trouble. You all enter a tavern which is filled with an assortment of races. What do you all do here?” 

This time, Chrysocolla is the one to reply, with a stutter: “W-we try t-to find o-ourselves a s-seat, first and f-foremost.”

Blue Zebra Jasper nods and rolls the dice. It comes up as 2. 

Blue Zebra Jasper shakes her head.

“As much as you try to find a seat, there are none. They are all occupied. However, one seat is free, across from a female human, who looks down in the dumps. What shall all of you do?” 

Chrysocolla replies, with a stutter: “I-I try t-to cheer her u-up, with a s-song.” 

Blue Zebra Jasper tilts her head at Chrysocolla's stutter but rolls the dice. It comes up as 9.

Blue Zebra Jasper shakes her head: “No matter how much you sing and play, she is not feeling any better. She thanks you for trying to cheer her up, though.” 

Smoky Quartz speaks up towards Chrysocolla, quietly. “Bummer, dude.” 

Chrysocolla quietly looks down at his lap, twisting his fingers this way and that due to anxiety and the upsetting feeling starting to appear within him.

Y/N senses the upsetting and anxious feeling surrounding Chrysocolla and tries his turn. 

“I walk up to the lady and…promise her a night she'll never forget.” As Y/N said the latter half, they look over at Chrysocolla for a moment but then back at Blue Zebra Jasper, slightly blushing but composing themselves.

Blue Zebra Jasper slyly smiles and rolls the dice. It comes up as 18.

“She agrees to come along and you both rent a room. The night passes with full bliss and…pleasure~” 

Smoky Quartz clears his throat. “What about me? What happened to me in the meantime?” 

Blue Zebra Jasper turned to look at Smoky Quartz. 

“In the meantime, you, Wulve, got the map of the underground cave from the shady figure who beckoned to you to meet them, in private.” 

Smoky Quartz smiled at the outcome. “Sweet.” 

Chrysocolla looks up from his lap and back at Smoky Quartz, nodding in agreement.

Smoky Quartz looks at the clock on the wall and realizes that it's already 12 O'clock, midnight. He stands up, showcasing his intimidating and tall stature. “Anyway, we can stop here. I need to get going. Later guys and my princess~” 

Smoky Quartz got up and gave a flirtatious wink at Blue Zebra Jasper, who frowned at his action. 

“Oh, go and stab someone.” Blue Zebra Jasper said, bitterly. 

Smoky Quartz smirked. “Already there, my dear.” 

Afterwards, Smoky Quartz began to climb upstairs and headed out through the front door. 

Blue Zebra Jasper said goodbye to both Chrysocolla and Y/N. Afterwards, she headed upstairs and out of through the door as well. 

Now, it was only Chrysocolla and Y/N alone, together and the ever presence of silence blossoming between them.

[butchtwelfthdoctor]

got carried away writing a book review of the day of the doctor so here u go i guess

the episode itself is. fine I guess. there are some good moments & its fun seeing ten & eleven interact and there's some good angsting etc. like the episode is fairly solid even though it does that typical moffat retroactively-changing-massive-parts-of-canon thing that he liked doing. its not perfect but whatever, there are lots of good bits! The Novelisation. Is. Dare I Say Kinda Bad.

(also I should point out that this is written by steven moffat who was the showrunner and wrote the script for the episode like he should know what he's doing)

it starts off with the doctor narrating in a typical slightly silly pretentious fourth-wall breaking kinda thing and you're like okay this is sort of cool yup very eleven that feel like him. the narration switches between the doctor talking about himself in third person cos a) that's how books work and b) he's just Like That but will slip into first person in select moments to show he's getting caught up in remember events or his feelings and the idea is that you're reading it on psychic paper & it's being beamed into your head telepathically or whatever and that's cool!! that's a good idea!

HOWEVEr. there are three (mainly) versions of the doctor in the book the war doctor the tenth doctor and the eleventh. and YOUD THINK THEY JUST CALL THEM WAR DOCTOR TEN AND ELEVEN like normal people but noooooooo depending on whose pov you're in he gives them all silly nicknames based on how various characters perceive them which is really hard to follow, or just call all of the The Doctor, which is their name yeah but like ??? which one is talking???? you kinda have to guess sometimes??? added to that is that there are shapeshifters in this one so there's another layer of 'is this the real guy or the Copy Guy' as well as BAD WOLF being there (who isn't rose, its bad wolf, but it isn't her either because it's a sentient superweapon that's talking to him that just LOOKS like rose.), there's just all in all a lot of Multiple Versions Of The Same Few People which can be hard to keep track of. like it's just confusing to read sometimes. not too hard even if the endless silly nicknames for ten & eleven get annoying a bit.

and there's a bunch of inconsistencies too (and yes I know I know this is the who needs continuity show) between this and the episode and I guess moffat can do what he likes adapting his own stuff but he kinda missed out some good bits? doesn't even have the 'this is his grunge phase' line and some of the stuff that makes ten and eleven's dynamic so funny but has all these random extra scenes of kate lethbridge-stewart and osgood that are just ?????? we didn't need that there??? it wasn't reeeeally adding anything??? and in the episode ten and eleven cant see bad wolf/rose/the moment ar all but here they see it for a bit?? but like no reaction really from either of them even though ten at LEaST should have had a visceral moment of loss there or something. idk.

and then at the end where there's that curator guy who is tom baker and its kinda I think supposed to be ambiguous as to whether its really four or not or some kind of coincidence but in the book it's like 'ahah! i was really narrating as four all along!' but like how is that even possible sorry I know this is the time travel show but why is he there and what is the implication? i think it's cos 11 says 'oh I could retire and be a curator' and then four is all old n stuff and Is the curator but like???? he regenerated?? is this a ten/fourteen type situation of the far future like a decade before they came up with that and then why is four in 2013??? what?? idk did they just really really want tom baker in it?

and then there's more foreshadowing of peter capaldi as twelve and then ten says 'i don't want to go' again which you're supposed to find sad but is fitted in in the most awkward way possible like. he would not say that no one would have said that sentence just then sorry guys. the ending feels kinda rushed more so in the book cos the narrator (four?? eleven??? is literally Not Paying Attention to the last conversation and then there's a page that says HELP ME over a bunch of tally marks ?????? idk man????? also there's all this stuff in the comedic chapter interlude narration that's referring to 'chapter nine' 'stop trying to find chapter nine' is he just saying 'yeah ok the ninth doctor's not in this one sorry guys'???? i think so??

cos it starts with chapter eight which is the eighth doctor getting regenerated into the war doctor (a soldier in the time war, the very thing he was saying he'd never become) (more of Moffat retrospectively Majorly Altering Canon) which was uhm. quite the scene cos in the episode he chooses it?? but in the book it says he was forced to by the sisterhood of karn???? what???????????? if that's so then why isn't that made Very Clear in the episode???? girl what???? there's lots of references to classic who which is fun but then he goes and says 'oh yeah btw one and two were actually colourblind that's why 1963-69 was in black and white' like okay. that's a slightly stupid writing decision which every other author has managed to ignore because it doesn't matter that they were in black and white cos the show started airing IN THE SIXTIES you can accept the limitations of historical content into canon!! he did the exact same thing in twice upon a time when he made One make sexist jokes so he could point out how progressive the show was Now which actually backfires Majorly because it makes The Doctor sexist instead of making The White British Colonial Men Who Wrote It In 1960s England sexist like ausgnauhgnshansghn CMON! and on that note Why Is This STuff So Sexualised like????? there was no need to say that the doctor found clara pretty, or rose/bad wolf/the moment/whatever, ten ends up marrying queen Elizabeth I which is kinda funny ngl but some of the things eleven says about that! is so weird! and unnecessary! and theres the fuckinhnsaa scene with the comparing the size of the sonic screwdrivers which is SO BAD LIKE YUCKKKK WHAT WHY WOULD YOU PUT THAT IN THERE ITS A FAMILY SHOW DUDE and like all the women at some point have a Comment on their appearance except for maybe kate lethbridge-stewart but idk. ahjsajnsajnsan. ick. and moffat just changes canon around all the time! gallifrey is gone again! but not really! but now it's back for real! the hybrid! (still don't know what was up with that) the impossible girl! mels/melody/river song! why!

and like some of it was so good!! the three doctors who are all the same person but not the same person, and some of the character writing was really really good & the interactions between different regenerations and like i Knew sometimes when ten was speaking cos the way he reacts to his own issues is so predictable (good predictable. like he has A Way He Acts its fascinating) and how they talk to each other (themself) as a representation of what the doctor is always struggling with about the decisions he's made. and i love the 'time lord art is bigger on the inside' bit that's really cool & when the war doctor starts the calculations and then eleven can finish them cos its four hundred years later even though they're in the same room together, like that's cool! moffat understands how to use timey-wimey stuff in the time travel show and he does it very well, a lot more (and better) than russell t davies does. but i watch this episode and think what no i really like this one and then i think about it and There Are Problems!!

anyways. uhm. haha. my favourite show 👍

[elmalo8291]

Hell yes. Let’s get deep, messy, magical, and real.

DRAMA SERIES: “Hearts of the Realm”

Tagline: Love is eternal. So are the arguments.

Setting:

A sprawling, intertwined magical city where different districts are influenced by different forces—chaos, law, undeath, nature, divine politics, etc.

People live, love, and lie under the weight of gods, spells, and past lives they can't forget.

Think Euphoria meets Game of Thrones, but everyone’s dating someone who can teleport, shift timelines, or curse your next three generations out of spite.

MAIN CHARACTERS:

Tinsel – A hopeful dreamweaver, stuck in a cycle of dating people who literally change who they are overnight. Her current lover claims he’s "just evolving," but she suspects he’s being possessed… again.

Flush – A stoic bugbear monk dealing with the emotional fallout of breaking up with a banshee. He says he’s over it, but every time he punches a wall, it screams her name.

Queen of Blood – Trying to retire from emotional manipulation, but her exes formed a support group. She wants real love now… but keeps dating people she can “fix.”

Wreckman – Working on self-love. Unfortunately, his past versions time-travel in to sabotage his relationships, claiming “they know better.”

Zoni the HR Specter – The ghost of a bureaucrat who died mid-divorce. Now, she helps couples navigate paperwork-heavy breakups, while longing for a romance that isn’t buried in forms.

EPISODES (Season One: 8-Part Arc)

Episode 1: “Echoes and Exes”

Tinsel’s new lover glows under moonlight—and she finds out why. Flush joins a dating app for fighters. Queen of Blood stalks her ex’s wedding in disguise (as the cake). Wreckman gets ghosted—literally. Zoni mediates a breakup between a necromancer and a lich king.

Episode 2: “We Said Forever. You Died.”

Flush is visited by his ex-banshee’s ghost therapist. Tinsel finds out her partner sold parts of their shared dreams for spell components. Wreckman tries couples counseling across three timelines. Queen of Blood steals a love potion—then drinks it alone.

Episode 3: “Emotional Damage (Conjuration 5e)”

Tinsel casts a spell to remove emotional baggage—only to find out it formed its own sentient being. Zoni tries speed dating at a vampire mixer. Flush opens up. His fists vibrate with suppressed trauma. Queen of Blood goes on a blind date... with karma.

Episode 4: “Polyamory and Pyromancy”

Tensions rise when Wreckman dates a fire elemental and a water spirit. Tinsel’s ex wants her back after dying “and seeing things clearly.” Zoni learns her ex never signed the afterlife divorce scroll. Queen of Blood flirts with a chaos priest—bad idea.

Episode 5: “Soulmates and Soul Debts”

Flush discovers his soulmate is a cursed sword. Tinsel considers memory-erasing therapy. Wreckman gets engaged by accident (dwarven customs). Queen of Blood falls for a mortal—but every time they kiss, he forgets her. Zoni considers exorcising her own heart.

Episode 6: “We Weren’t Exclusive… Across Realms”

A multiverse breach reveals everyone's alternate-realm relationships. Tinsel's alt-self is married to Wreckman. Queen of Blood has kids she didn’t remember. Flush finds out he’s the villain in someone else’s love story. Zoni gives relationship advice to herself.

Episode 7: “Heartbreak Has Hitpoints”

Queen of Blood goes nuclear. Tinsel says goodbye—to herself. Flush meditates and reaches an emotional plane of peace... and rage. Wreckman tries to repair the fabric of trust (and space). Zoni finally admits what she wants—and resurrects her own heart.

Episode 8: “To Love and Let Die”

Everyone gathers for a wedding. Not everyone survives it. Truths come out. Spells unravel. New love blooms—possibly doomed.

Final scene: A letter from Queen of Blood. "If this is what loving looks like… gods help the next one who tries."

Want a full script next? Or spin this off into character journals, voice-over poetry, or episodic comic-style scenes?

[maddieshifts]

my no way home dr <3

Hi besties!

Here's a little introduction to my No Way Home DR :) For context, I have not shifted to this DR yet. Everything I'm about to write are things that I have DR memories about or scenarios and background I scripted myself.

Just for another note! I have the same background and mostly the same history in this DR as I do in my OG Marvel DR. The difference being this DR takes place years later (after the Blip [I was Blipped whoops]) and I broke up with Pietro during Civil War (fingers crossed P and I don't break up in my OG Marvel DR lol).

‿୨♡୧‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿୨♡୧‿

Name: Maddie Carter Age: 24 S/O: Peter Parker (Peter 3) Age: 26

Family

Samuel Carter, father, deceased

Louisa Carter, mother, deceased

Margaret "Peggy" Carter, great-aunt, deceased

Sharon Carter, cousin, age 28

Background

My parents died when I was young, so I went to live with my cousin Sharon and her family. My great-aunt Peggy and my cousin both hid their employment with SHIELD from me.

I was on a study-abroad program to Sokovia when the attack during Age of Ultron occurred.

I was in the embassy when the lower levels exploded. There were sentient robots surrounding the building and the Avengers were attempting to resolve the situation quickly, but I ended up caught under a piece of rubble with no way out. I was the only one injured in the explosion (main character syndrome lol).

I was knocked unconscious when a wave of Wanda's powers rippled through the building.

I gained Wanda's powers (except mine present as purple). Additionally to hers, I can manipulate the air around me to fly short distances and I can read everyone's mind (except Wanda's) and manipulate their will to mine.

Wanda, Pietro, and I trained together to cultivate and regulate our powers, eventually leading to the three of us taking and passing the Avengers Entrance Exam and becoming official members. We all grew very close during this time. Wanda became my best friend and Pietro became my boyfriend.

During the "Avengers Civil War" as the media refers to the situation, our forces were split nearly in half. Wanda and I ended up working with Steve while Pietro sided with Tony. The "civil war" ended with two factions of the original Avengers group. We work together when needed, but typically fight separately.

Additionally, the infighting caused a severe rift in my relationship with Pietro. He took my choosing Steve as a personal offense against him and our relationship. We fought constantly over FaceTime and phone calls and ended up breaking up.

Wanda left the Avengers after we returned from the Blip. I don't learn this until later, but while all this is happening in my DR, Wanda is off in Westview living the events of the WandaVision TV show.

No Way Home

On November 5, 2024, Peter (1) calls me in the afternoon to enlist my help in tracking down the villains who have escaped through the crack in the multiverse resulting from his broken spell with Dr Strange.

I meet up with MJ and Ned at the Sanctum while we search the internet for Green Goblin and any other villains. When we get a lead on another potential target, I go with Peter to the power plant and help him subdue Electro and Sandman. I stay with Peter to help him clean up our mess.

When Aunt May calls Peter about Osborn being at FEAST, I go with him to make sure everyone is okay. After Peter traps Strange in the Mirror Dimension, I go out on my own looking for any multiverse visitors we could have missed.

That’s when I meet Peter (3). I track him down in an alley and use my powers to determine that he is who he says.

Peter (3) and I instantly connect. We talk for awhile about his home universe and what’s currently going on in mine. Then Ned opens a portal while searching for Peter (1).

I go through the portal with Peter (3) and convince Ned and MJ that he is telling the truth about his identity. Ned then opens another portal, which leads to Peter (2). I use my powers again to determine that he is also telling the truth about his identity.

The Peters, Ned, MJ, and I then go to their school to look for Peter (1). We wait in the science lab with the Peters while they complete their cures for the villains.

Peter (3) and I talk some more about our lives and I start to really like him.

The Statue of Liberty Fight takes place as in canon, except that I am fighting alongside the Peters.

After the villains have all been cured, Strange still has to do the spell to make everyone forget about Peter Parker. After Peter (1) says goodbye to me and the other Peters, he goes to find MJ and Ned. Peter (2) goes to talk with Osborn and make amends.

Peter (3) and I are left alone on the shield. Peter tells me that he wishes he could stay in this universe. He tells me that he has really liked spending time with me and that he wishes he had more time to get to know me. I tell him that I feel the same way and we hug.

As Strange is completing his spell and everyone is returning to their own universes, my powers expand beyond my control.

My powers overwhelm me because of all the emotions I have been feeling for the past 48 hours. All I can think about is how unfair it is that Peter (3) is about to be ripped away from me even though he’s been saying he wants to stay since I met him. I can’t stop the energy from radiating from me.

A purple haze envelops me and Peter (3), and when Strange’s spell is complete, Peter (3) remains in the MCU. We remember the battle and were immune from all parts of Strange’s spell, so we still remember Peter (1).

Peter (3) and I return to my apartment to get clean and change clothes, and we decide that we need to find Peter (1) in the next few days and let him know that we remember him.

Looking Forward

My tentative plan and assumption for the future of this DR is that Peter (3) and I will find Peter (1) and let him know that we remember him. We'll help him get MJ's memories back and Ned's.

Peter (3) wants to help in New York, so we have a suit made for him and he becomes a vigilante known as Webslinger. Everything with the Avengers is very tentative, especially when it comes to Peter (1), so we all just try to stay off their radar while we work things out.

‿୨♡୧‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿୨♡୧‿

I haven't focused on this DR in a while, but No Way Home is one of my favorite movies of all time! Feel free to ask my any questions you might have regarding this DR :)

[vasito-de-leche]

Hi! I read about your super cool Self Aware R1999 AU and it got me thinking about what Sonetto would be like, since I have a 100% bond with her in the suitcase.

Would she try to keep normalcy? Have a brand new idle line? Perhaps pull a Monika DDLC and start writing poetry where she tries to grapple with the fact that there’s an eldritch being puppeteering her best friend?

;R1999 SONETTO - Self-Aware AU

Headcanons about how Sonetto would act upon becoming self-aware. Related to this Self-Aware AU post.

glad you like the AU! this was a nice chance to explore Sonetto's character more <3

To organize my thoughts better, I gotta talk about Sonetto first for a bit.

I definitely talked about this with a few friends, but Sonetto is a wonderful character to me because I both dislike and feel for her a lot - especially in the new 1.4 Main Story update. The emphasis the game puts into her role as a military dog (raised to follow orders and die for a cause she doesn't truly understand) and a lost puppy (a curious and dependant child believing her caretakers have the best of intentions) really lives up to the way she portrays these same traits. Yes, it's awful to see her continue to perpetuate the harmful ideas the Foundation taught her, but it makes sense. Yes, it's lovely to see her slowly break away from everything she's ever known, and yet revert back to her habits because change is difficult. The way she works perfectly as a foil to Vertin, it's so good!

To me, Sonetto is a character that resists change, while yearning for it at the same time. That's why her Medium is curiosity, after all. It's so lovely and ironic to see THE perfect example of a Foundation martyr being set up for failure in something that they couldn't have even foreseen, her own Medium, her own innate curiosity.

So with this in mind, I think that within the Self-Aware AU ... I think she would be able to deal with this sudden awareness of everything being fake, because her first reaction would be to assume there's something wrong with herself for thinking something so outlandish, so beyond what she was taught. Sonetto would still resist this change - if this is a game, then she's not meant to be aware of it, therefore she's the one at fault and perhaps, broken in a way.

Maybe "broken" is too heavy of a word, I imagine it's more like she believes she broke the rules by gaining this level of sentience. That it' wasn't supposed to happen in the first place.

How would she act overall?

I feel like Sonetto would be relatively fine upon becoming sentient because of this, she'd be shaken but would continue to do as expected and follow the script like a proper little chess piece, one of the many cogs needed in the machine - her reasoning is simple: if everyone who is self-aware began to act out, there wouldn't be a game to play. And what would happen to her friends, then? If this stability that the plot and script brings is suddenly gone?

There would be times where she might slip up, but they'd be very subtle changes in the her dialogue - perhaps the inflection of her voice, rather than the words - she might pause for longer to think, to consider whether to do anything outside of what she's expected to. But that's about it.

The problem begins when she finds out (or is told) that the Foundation had known this truth about the world they live in for longer than she's been alive. Sonetto remains docile entirely to keep that order and harmony she's been raised to maintain, but to find out that the very people who taught her that have known and done nothing but lie to everyone - that would be the catalyst for her.

Personally, I like to think that this is something she figures out on her own, rather than being told. A truth she must face on her own instead of just accepting someone else's words.

Her behaviour would still largely remain the same whenever she knows she has a part to play, but in those moments when she knows there's no "camera" looking at her, Sonetto would... sit there. WIth the way I've interpreted Sonetto, she's a character that struggles to actually have an identity outside of the Foundation's training, so now that this is something she can't rely on, she's at a loss as to what to do with this newfound freedom.

I imagine this is when other arcanists who were self-aware before her would start reaching out to Sonetto and slowly give her that stability she needs.

On the subject of Sonetto's relationship with Vertin.

The way I interpreted Sonetto and Vertin's dynamic, I don't see them as best friends!

From reading back some scenes and transcribing most of CH 03 of the Main Story, it feels like both Sonetto and Vertin have always found themselves in a one-sided relationship: when they were kids, Sonetto rejected Vertin's attempts at becoming friends because of their differences, even if they were both curious about each other. They never striked me as close. Now that years have passed, Vertin treats Sonetto similar to how she treats everyone else, while Sonetto explicitly wants to be closer to Vertin due to what happened when they were kids.

To me, Vertin has shown more emotion to Schneider and Madam Z than to Sonetto. There's this one-sided dynamic again.

In the context of the AU, I think Sonetto finding out about what Vertin goes through with this entity and this role that the game forced upon her, she would double down on her feelings to protect Vertin. There's a lot of guilt involved, since - once again - that's what the Foundation teaches to all orphan arcanists, to repent for their unruly and destructive existence.

I think Sonetto would feel guilty for not gaining sentience sooner, while Vertin has been struggling with this heavy weight for God knows how long. She would recontextualize everything about Vertin, her actions and the differences that constantly got her into trouble as a child, her desire to escape - attributing all of it to this entity that follows her. Because I do think that Sonetto idolizes Vertin to a degree that fuels this one-sided dynamic between them, not out of malice of course, just like a puppy.

So in the end, Sonetto would resent the Player and worry even more for Vertin, now using this as a justification for acting out of line and out of script, as Vertin's self-imposed protector.

It would take Sonetto a looooooong time to do anything with her sentience and freedom, beyond continuing to support Vertin. Her poems and her art would reflect this progress slowly, but yeah, not a lot of noticeable changes.

Reaching 100% Bond with Sonetto.

This is a very conflicting event for Sonetto, I'd say.

The more attention you pay to her, the more aware she becomes of your influence - and now she has to come to terms with the fact that there is no way of separating you from Vertin. She can't free Vertin from this fate, and it doesn't look like she wants that to happen either, but it eats Sonetto from inside out. Because she doesn't understand, and she wants to know why this is the way things are meant to be.

When it comes to reaching 100% Bond with her, or levelling her up and so on, I don't think she'd pay much attention to the mechanical aspect of it all. She's a skilled arcanist, she's the first important character the game gives to you during the tutorial stages, she knows just how important her Disarm ability can be to win a battle - of course you would want her on your team.

But as she slowly spends more time with Vertin and the Player, I think Sonetto would start to wonder about the outside world. They're small, little and impulsive thoughts in the back of her mind, like wondering if you too have someone in this fictional little world that you care about enough to see the story through the end. Are you capable of loving someone that can't reach out to you nor acknowledge your presence? Isn't it cruel, for those who remain blind to the truth, to be so loved and cherished by you?

Do you read the newspaper the same way Vertin does? Do you care about her? About her goals and dreams and thoughts?

This is the only way Sonetto can reconcile this resentment she has for you: through Vertin. I think Vertin would eventually notice all these subtle changes, the way Sonetto never looks truly happy whenever she looks at Vertin, looking above as if she could catch a glimpse of the Player. And Vertin would help through the whole process, easing up to sentience as a whole, to accepting the Player's existence as just something that is there, neither good or bad.

While she's one of the very few who has no trouble differentiating your actions and influence from Vertin's own free will, she would eventually come to respect your choices. Doing her best and beyond whenever you choose her to battle, because now the stakes are higher - now, she's choosing to fight for something she fully understands and cares about.

I like to think that Sonetto can't hear you, but she might be able to see you. Little glimpses here and there, when she happens to look up at the sky, and she sees you cheering after beating that one level that's been giving you a headache. I like to think that she would share these details about you with Vertin, if only to ease her own mind about the complex dynamic you have with THE Timekeeper.

But at the end of the day, this is progress and these are many changes that happen out of your field of vision. Perhaps, one day, Sonetto will gather the courage to thank you for taking care of Vertin when no one else would.

[eightiesblast]

"Maniac Mansion," released in 1987 by Lucasfilm Games (now LucasArts), is a seminal point-and-click adventure game designed by Ron Gilbert and Gary Winnick. It is widely regarded as one of the most influential titles in the adventure game genre, known for its innovative gameplay, quirky humor, and memorable characters.

Pros:

Pioneering Gameplay: "Maniac Mansion" was one of the first games to use the SCUMM (Script Creation Utility for Maniac Mansion) engine, which revolutionized the adventure game genre by simplifying the interface with a point-and-click system. This allowed players to interact with the game world through simple commands like "pick up," "use," and "talk to," making the gameplay more accessible and intuitive.

Multiple Playable Characters: The game features a cast of seven characters, but players can only choose three to complete the game, leading to different solutions and multiple endings based on the characters selected. This adds a layer of replayability and strategic planning, as each character has unique abilities that affect how puzzles are solved.

Engaging Story and Humor: "Maniac Mansion" tells the story of a group of teenagers who break into a creepy mansion to rescue their kidnapped friend. The plot is filled with quirky humor, parodies of B-movie horror tropes, and eccentric characters like the mad scientist Dr. Fred, his bizarre family, and a sentient meteor. The witty dialogue and amusing scenarios contribute significantly to the game's charm.

Atmospheric Design: The game's detailed pixel art and atmospheric soundtrack create a captivating and eerie ambiance. The mansion is filled with hidden rooms, bizarre contraptions, and secrets that encourage exploration and curiosity.

Influence and Legacy: "Maniac Mansion" set the standard for future adventure games and inspired many titles that followed. Its influence can be seen in subsequent LucasArts games like "The Secret of Monkey Island" and "Day of the Tentacle."

Cons:

Dead Ends and Trial-and-Error Gameplay: One criticism of "Maniac Mansion" is the potential for dead ends—situations where players can make mistakes that render the game unwinnable without any indication. This can lead to frustration, requiring players to restart or reload from previous saves.

Obscure Puzzles: Some puzzles in the game are notoriously obtuse and may require a significant amount of trial and error to solve. While this was typical of many early adventure games, it can be a barrier for modern players accustomed to more streamlined puzzle design.

Dated Graphics and Interface: Although the pixel art has a nostalgic charm, the graphics and user interface can feel dated compared to contemporary standards. The limited color palette and low resolution might not appeal to all players.

Overall, "Maniac Mansion" is a groundbreaking adventure game that remains a beloved classic. Its innovative gameplay, engaging story, and humorous writing have earned it a lasting legacy in the gaming world. Despite some design quirks common to its era, it continues to be celebrated for its creativity and impact on the genre.