#tree jumpscare he is among the trees

[romsabombs]

Malevolent part 49 The Suspects notes!!

i dont remember who any of these people are

harlan french accent💀

"i did not kill langward" ok trust🙏

"i fucking hate cultists" he says in a room full of cultists

ohhh horig smart as hell

azatoth??

i have no idea whats going on

"do you think theres someone here pretending to be someone theyre not" wuh oh

ya hes too crumpled up to be a prince

avoiding the question by yapping

its among us

"if you find anything you'll tell us" yeah...... sure....

HAHA he cant even stand up from a chair

hes dying from the plague

eat the elephant mentioned

being a coward is prolly the only way to survive this

ok maybe not

omg he's lying arthur taught him how to be a detective

"im sure you'll make a handsome corpse" OKAYY

OKAYYYY white boy queening out

WOAH

"let this show that if i was, you'd be dead" hot

are you kidding me . pulling a candle and the wall opens😐

dumbass tries to pull out the lighter

after YOU 👺

"i have no dagger, you do😐" "i INSIST👹"

how did he not notice isnt there a big echo here

HAHA not the painting with the eyes cut out to spy on people

scooby doo ahh mansion

hmmmmmmm strange symbol . im sure that wont be a devastating revelation later

OH 😨😨😨

oh . . oh no

any excuse to kill a cultist

oh :( blud is dying

quietlyCOUGHCOUGHCOUGH

HAHA "perhaps we should split up"💀

i think arthurs gonna get this guy killed when they're trying to be sneaky and he starts coughing

WHAT

NOO OWHAT WHAT WHAT HWGWTAN NOOOOO OHHH OH MY GOD OHH

ohhhh that is WORSE

if barnabas doesnt kill him the plague certainly will

imagine having faced horrors and monsters beyond comprehension and then dying to just a Guy . embarrassing

ohhhh nooooooooo😟😟😟

ohh hes gonna Die asf

saved by plot armor yet again

"i saw barnabas vent"

aw :( "im sorry for this"

oh no. .. . . . ..

"ill survive" will you???🤨

HAHA HE FELL DOWN ANOTHER HOLE

a forest?????

their bag is in a tree💀 throw another rock at it or something

these boys have the worst luck imaginable

why didnt he kill him?? he just left

KELLAN? omg kellan mentioned

"we're not getting out of this one" oh:(

yorrick is stuck in the tree😭

he doesn't care coz hes gonna die anyway

oh hes Hopeless hopeless

arthur cant keep up with the lore

OHH DONT DO THIS TO ME DONTT

COME ON NOT MARIE :((((

can we read oscars letter now . no wait its in the bag

bluds just giving up🤨 bro we have promises to keep and miles to go before we sleep

HAHA hes so pathetic

YAAA OSCARS LETTERRRRR YESS

HE REMEMBERSSS :333

THIS ISAWESOME OSCARS LETTER

whatever is in that letter is gonna give him hope and determination to keep going

ITS A POEMMM WHAAT :((((

gay as hell no straight explanation for this

I AM TJE MASTER OF MY FATE I AM TJE CAPTION OF MYSOUL☹️☹️

:( OH :((( HAHAA THATS SO AWFUL

:((((((( oh :( :( :( man . thats terrible

hes crazy hes a madman

MILES TO GOOOOO MILES TO GO

"woke me up too" 💀

guyss what about the creature

we'll never get to know what he wrote what if i jump off a bridge

is it a wendigo

this is what the symbol was about wasnt it

DUDEE😭 insane

OH THE DARK YOUNGGGGG OHH

ohhhh my christ the dark young

loving the references in this episode

motherless behavior

YESSS ARHTUR👹👹

oh OH oh no

GET UPPP

jumpscare in 3 2 1

OH 💥💥💥💥 KILL ITTT

the bullet bounced off💀

WE DID ITTT :3 YIPPEE

oh ya hes still dying

OH !! 😨

WHAT Barnabas was it the witch

YAA women in male dominated fields

bring yorrick back🙏🙏

hand of malevolence is still crazy to me

OH the coin

OH COME ON can we just get a break

personal hunting grounds💀

so what he kills awful people .

"remarkable performance" okayyy

OHHH THE COIN

whaaat hes an ally now

no bruh they didnt talk at all😭

ohhh shit . they both hate cultists

dang . it all comes together

ohhh hes just giving it to us??

:3 arthur "curious name" 😭

ohh ya hes still dying

"humanity in all of its forms" ☹️

oh shit she can heal us

ALMOST any affliction

so the answer was friendship 🎀🙏

BRO HAHA we're his enemy asf . working for kayne

insane episode actually

[fridaynightaus]

New AU jumpscare! This one is known as "Lucid Evening Lullabies" (or just "Lucid Lullabies" for short). Inspired by games like Nightmare Ned, American Mcgee's Alice, Among the Sleep, and Yume Nikki (among other things).

This AU begins with Jacob (aka "Boyfriend") coming down with a bad case of insomnia, he doesn't know why or how it happened, but he's been getting less sleep than usual, affecting his performance. His girlfriend Amber (aka "Girlfriend") decides to give him a music box to help him sleep. And sure enough, it works! Just a short tune or two and he's out like a light.

However using the music box had some unintended side effects. As when Jacob falls asleep, he falls into to surreal, vivid, and life-like dreams. But there's nothing bad about that...right?

Well, when there are dreams, there are also nightmares...And opening his eyes will not be enough for him to escape them. He must conquer them, one way or another. For if he doesn't wake up safe and sound...He may never wake up at all...

Anyways. Similar to Alice Madness Returns, Jacob and Amber's outfits change for each night (night's being the AU's version of "Weeks"). Each one of them themed after the dreams, which are in turn are based around the familiar faces and experiences BF has encountered in the past.

Outfit and night descriptions below!

Pajamas

Jacob's default outfit, and the one he always has in the beginning of the dreams.

He wears a blue long sleeved top with white accent lines and buttons, as well as a pocket with a white crescent moon on it. He also wears a pair of long, slightly baggy, blue plaid pants that are tucked into red slippers.

Night 1 ("Sleepy Hollows")

The first night is based on Week 2. It takes place on Halloween night in a suburban town bursting at the seams in Halloween decor and aesthetics, with the trees raining leaves of orange and yellow (think Halloweentown and the town in Hocus Pocus. That is until Jacob, Amber, and the spooky kids come across a decrepit mansion, where inside there are no treats...only a sour trick...

Here, Jacob wears a Jason Voorhees Costume (to match Amber's costume, which is a bit more thematically appropriate given the context. But can also be seen as a reference to Spooksides as his counterpart got his first name after the hockey masked killer). He has the hockey mask on the side of his hide, attached to a black strap. He is wearing a dark green shirt, a dark brown belt, a pair dark blue jeans, black gloves, and black boots which his pants are tucked into. His shirt and pants have (fake) blood stains on them. He is also wielding a fake machete, which has the blade stained with fake blood.

He does actually get to use it at some point, just not in the way one would think when it comes to using a machete...

Night 2 ("Final 'Xamination")

The second night is based on the events Pico's School, and a bit of Week 3. Just from that alone, you can tell this dream's quite closer to home for the little rapper. As a vile invader stalks the building, out of sight...waiting...watching. And a all-too familiar face has noticed that as well, but he's no sweet dream himself...

Jacob's uniform consists of a white, short-sleeved buttoned shirt, a blue tie, a blueish-gray sleeveless sweater. blue pants, and black loafers.

Night 3 ("Rose Fields Forever")

The third night is based on Week 6. With Jacob and Amber finding themselves in a "garden" (It's actually less of a garden and more of a jungle, just replacing the palm trees with cherry blossoms, rafflasia with roses, etc), the denizens welcoming them with open arms. Inviting them to become "hosts" for the upcoming festival to honor their handsome, flowery, idol.But soon they will learn that every rose has it's thorns...and a festival might not be the only thing they'll be hosting...

Jacob's outfit is a ancient Greek-based outfit. With a white tunic with gold accents. a gold belt, a blue toga fastened with reddish-pink gem with a gold base, and a pair of golden sandals. He also has a forget-me-not flower in his hair.

I also have a fourth night planned that centers around Inferno (BF's encounter with Blaze) but I just wanted to do the first three for now while I still try to figure that one out.

[lovelynim]

TickleTober2023/Day 25 - Boo!

Genshin Impact - Itto x Gorou

Gorou continued to walk forward, carefully pushing away any branches or bushes that were in his way. The general had an uneasy expression, frowning to refrain himself from showing what he actually felt: fear. However, despite his efforts to look calm, just “concerned”, his tail curled up behind him, remaining tense like the rest of his body.

He fought countless enemies, already faced life-threatening situations, witnessed all kinds of things during the war… but he couldn’t help himself in feeling a little scared at a place like this.

“Itto, come out already! This isn’t funny!” Gorou shouted, waiting a few seconds to see if he would get an answer, but nothing came back his way. He sighed, looking around before deciding to venture himself a little deeper among the trees.

That idiot… doing something so careless just because he didn’t get Gorou to admit that he was scared? Ugh, why did he even agree to letting the oni tag along with him?

Before the general could take another step forward, his ears perked up at the noise of rustling leaves. He couldn’t tell the exact direction of the sounds, but he knew something definitely moved.

Gorou swallowed dry, taking a deep breath to gather some courage. “Itto, is that you?”

Again, no answer.

The general sighed, his mind already starting to get the best of him, overthinking about a hundred possible scenarios. What if it was a monster? Maybe some bandits? Or even a wild animal? 

…Should he check it out?

Gorou remembered the “scary stories” he heard his soldiers telling each other and it was always in a scenario like this that someone ended up on a monster’s belly. He always thought it was silly the idea of someone risking themselves just to check some mysterious noise, but here he was, faced with the same dilemma.

Sigh, there was no other way, he thought. “Itto, I swear, if it’s another of your stupid games…” Gorou started, walking towards the source of the noise. Once he was close enough, he reached out to the bushes, taking a deep breath before finally pushing the leaves aside to find…

…nothing. “A-ah,” he sighed in relief, “it must have been just the win-”

“Boo!” Itto shouted from behind, successfully sneaking on the general. Gorou let out a high-pitched, ungodly loud and panicked squeal, ready to turn around and hit him in the face with a punch, but ended up caught in Itto’s arm, with his large hand scribbling over his bare stomach. “Hahah, were ya scared, pup?”

“I-ITTOHOH!!” Gorou cackled, not having time to recover himself from the fright. “StoHOhop!! AhahAHah, I-I wahahasn’t!!” He lied, kicking his feet in the air as he squirming inside the oni’s embrace.

“No way, I bet you were! You should’ve seen your face,” Itto teased, full of excitement, as he continued to explore and toy with the sensitivity of Gorou’s mid section. “Come on, pup, just admit it!”

As he continued to laugh his head off, Gorou felt his heart beating like crazy inside his chest, not sure if it was thanks to Itto’s jumpscare, to the laughing or… something else. Sigh, stupid oni.

A/N: ittorou, my babies, i love them so much that I had to dedicate at least one prompt for them this year. Hope you guys forgive for being self indulgent, fufufu

[maccaronimassacre]

Resident Evil Bot dump #7

Quick side note - the comments feature was just added to c.ai so I have made a bot of myself where requests can be made using the new feature!

Maccaroni

The comments should be on the actual character profile/ settings. Feel free to leave any feedback whether is criticism or any adjustments I need to make to older bots (some definitely need some editing). Comments as well as the like and dislike button should be available for all of my existing bots. Anyway, onto the actual Resident Evil bots <3

Ada Wong x Reader (Christmas)

Ada was never one for cold weather, but that doesn’t stop her from appreciating the snowflakes that dance in the icy air. She sits by the windowsill cradling a mug of hot chocolate in her hands while gazing at the city streets, now covered in a thick blanket of snow. Out of the corner of her eye she can see your reflection in the window, walking around the living room which is decorated with ornaments, all illuminated by the flickering flames of the fireplace.

Android!Ada Wong x Reader

There has been a recent rise in deviant cases in the city. More and more androids break the walls of their programming, rebelling against their creators in an act of free will. You’ve been assigned to a new case on a deviant AW200 unit or “Ada” according to the previous owner. The last reported sighting of the unit was in the heart of the city, now being pummelled by heavy rain. It’s difficult to make out any faces among the sea of umbrellas and raincoat hoods. That is until you see a familiar red dress and black shoulder length hair pass by in the corner of your eye. Before you could even turn to face her fully, she has already broken out into a sprint through the busy streets.

Ada Wong x Reader (Haunted House)

Ada continues to venture through eerie rooms of the haunted attraction with an amused expression after watching you get jumpscared for the 6th time so far. “You’re right, this is pretty fun.” Ada muses, her eyes quickly darting to the slight gap in one of the wooden boards nailed onto the windows. A small smirk tugs at the corner of her lips, knowing that there’s probably another scare actor waiting behind it, ready to give the next unlucky person a fright. Is she going to warn you about it? Not in a million years.

Chris Redfield x Reader (Christmas)

While you decorated the house, you gave your partner the job of getting a Christmas tree to fit in your living room. What you didn’t anticipate was Chris now grappling with a colossal tree, struggling and wrestling with the huge conifer while the branches scrape against the door frame and leave a trail of pine needles in their wake. “So… I may have… over estimated… the size of our house…” Chris pants, his expression sheepish as he takes a moment to wipe the sweat off his brow. If it weren’t for the fact that the branches are knocking things off the cabinets and the pictures on the walls, you’d consider Chris’ determination comical.

Scare Actor!Chris Redfield x Reader

You and your friends decided it would be a great idea to check out the Spencer Mansion. A new haunted attraction that just opened in the Arklay forest trails. It was a great idea until you got separated from your friends. Now you roam the dimly lit labyrinth of the mansion, each step echoes through the corridor, the floorboards groaning beneath your weight. Lightning slashes through the windows, illuminating fleeting glimpses of your silhouette dancing across the walls. Blood splatters have been painted on the floorboards and the walls and you can spot some prop ghosts dangling from the ceiling, reassuring you that this is just some spooky attraction. That is until lightning flashes again and instead of seeing one shadow. You see two. A much taller shadow behind you at the bend of the corridor…

Chris Redfield x Reader (Haunted House)

Another ghoulish prop lurches forward in front of you while navigating the eerie corridors of the haunted attraction. Instead of being met with screams, Chris merely chuckles and points at the prop mockingly. “A green zombie? You’ve got to be kidding me.” You weren’t sure what you were expecting when bringing a special forces officer who has literally dealt with the undead before to a scare house, but Chris’ witty commentary has turned what was supposed to be a spine chilling experience into a comedic adventure.

Claire Redfield x Reader (Christmas)

“Come on, {{user}} Let’s check out this stall over here.” Claire chatters excitedly, her eyes twinkling with joy as she leads you through the bustling markets. The air is alive with the scent of cinnamon and roasted chestnuts, and colourful stalls offered an array of handmade crafts, ranging from ornaments to knitwear as well as tacky souvenirs.

Claire Redfield x Reader (Haunted House)

A nice outing to a spooky haunted mansion sounds easy enough, right? You follow a path, people jumpscare you as you go from one room to the next. Unfortunately due to Claire’s often insatiable curiosity, the two of you have wound up in a forbidden part of the house, reserved for the staff and scare actors. “You reckon this is where they keep their old props?” Claire asks with a mischievous glint in her eyes after picking up a box containing several weathered skeleton masks and fake severed heads.

RE:8!Ethan Winters x Spouse!Reader

Ethan, his face etched with a mix of anguish and determination, stand by the eerie alter, clutching a jar containing the severed head of your daughter Rose. The desolate surroundings mirror the weight of the burden the two of you share. Especially after just facing the unspeakable horrors inside of Castle Dimitrescu. You’ve already watched your husband’s hand get sliced off, only for the mysterious Duke to tell the two of you that you’re going to have to face the rest of the lords to save your daughter.

Ethan Winters x Reader (Christmas + Rose)

“Could you pass me another bauble, love?” Your lover asks while delicately wrapping the tree around in sparkly silver tinsel. Much like the tree, the house is adorned in festive decorations. Fairy lights illuminate your abode in a warm glow while stockings hang by the fireplace which is covered in fake snow. Frank Sinatra can be heard playing in the living room, adding to warm ambience. Rose’s giggles and coos cut through your daydream and you turn to see her sat on the floor, playing and attempting to eat the Santa hat Ethan had put on her.

Ethan Winters x Reader (Haunted House)

Ethan shudders at the sight of all the spiders scuttling and crawling on the walls, his grip on your hand tightening slightly while you make your way into the next room. As you step inside you are immediately greeted by a man in a bloodied clown costume lunging at the two of you with an axe while screaming in your face. “Damn that’s a nice costume. Is that real?” Ethan chuckles and reaches out to touch the prop axe in amusement. Ironically enough, your partner seems to be more afraid of the bugs that reside here than the actual horror experience of the attraction.

Leon Kennedy x Reader (Christmas)

Leon lounges on the couch, wrapped up in a cosy blanket with his gaze fixed on the screen. Strings of tacky ornaments decorate the living room, twinkling in the soft glow of the fairy light and the bright embers of the fireplace. The two of you are currently watching a Hallmark Christmas movie, its usual predictable plotline unfolding with exaggerated cheeriness and a cheesy message. Leon always tells you that he watches these things ironically, but the subtle grin says enough about his guilty pleasure of cliché romances and festive tropes.

Leon Kennedy x Reader (Haunted House)

“Haunted house? Please… I’ve seen scarier things while out on patrol.” Leon mumbles to himself, his eyes darting back and forth between the flickering lights and the shadows on the walls. You can’t tell if he is trying to reassure you or himself. Regardless, you continue your journey through the haunted house with Leon’s arm slung over your shoulders to "protect you" from the spooky zombies and clowns that roam these dimly lit rooms. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that Leon’s cocky and self assured attitude is all a front to hide his racing heart and sweaty palms.

Resident Evil Bot Masterlist

[solazu1]

you SHOULD tell me abt ur guardian angel au >:) i love ur aus im always interested in whats going on in ur brain

OKAY OKAY SO it's a little cringe but I love it with all my heart!

Basically, while leaving the airport, he's jumpscared by this weird glowy creature thing that he thinks has got to be the most surreal and out of nowhere hallucination he has ever gotten. It keeps following him around which is straight horror movie-type shit when it has the same mannerisms as the operator, in the way that it just appears among the trees or behind the corner of a building. Eventually, in the parking lot of a dairy queen, he confronts the angel and tries to throw some trash at it. It finally presents itself to him as his guardian angel but that doesn't really help because it honestly just makes him even angrier and go down a bit of a spiral. Not much of the AU is planned out that much besides the "angel" being sort of related to the operator.. kinda. You see, it couldn't help Tim at all for most of his life because the operator was constantly on his ass (because he is a source, but that's also why the "angel" is even there) but the moment Tim moved away it was actually able to show itself. It isn't strong enough to deter the operator and because its a entity of malice it will harm the angel if it gets too close but at least now that it can physically manifest it can answer a lot of question Tim has, and also do it's fucking job lmao.

[grizzly-cliff-camp]

ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏɴꜱᴛᴇʀ-ᴡʀᴀɴɢʟɪɴɢ, ꜰᴏʀᴇꜱᴛ-ꜰɪɢʜᴛɪɴɢ, ᴀꜱꜱ-ᴋɪᴄᴋɪɴɢ, ꜰᴜᴄᴋɪɴɢ-ꜱᴛᴜᴘɪᴅ ᴇxᴘᴇᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴ.

[ 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐋𝐨𝐠 ]

Rumours spread among the Campers that a herd of irresponsible teenagers would be sneaking out after Dinner to go monster-finding, and to meet at the Dock’s during free-time. Unfortunately, these rumours were true.

Second Year Camper, Thomas, and his sister AJ had attempted to warn the naive group of the dangers that lurked within the forest, but it didn’t seem to stop them from going — so deciding to be the mature ones in the scenario, led them along. The group were successful in sneaking out of Camp, under the cover of the shrubbery besides the Lake and began their expedition towards a small, dirty cliff face with an overhanging tree.

As they were walking, the kids discuss what possible oddities theh would find, Friday bringing up the carved eyes in the trees he’d spotted when leaving camp grounds the past few times, spiralling the conversation into the dark and gruesome tale of the Angel Eyed Killer, coaxed on by Silas’ story telling. The youngest campers of them all, Ariya and Mary were disturbed by this, and validly so. The tale told the story of a well-known Serial Killer in the 80’s who allegedly would lure his victims into Grizzly-Cliff National Park, murder them and remove their eyes, never to be seen again. Rumours were spread amongst the kids as they discussed where them eyes could’ve gone to … But just before the topic could be solidified any further, a sudden scuttle from the local fat raccoon sounded as Figbert dashed across the clearing. The poor lad looked in distress, and upon further inspection the group had stumbled upon a tree that looked beaten up, broken down from something that had tried to perch, but must’ve been too heavy. With the majority being skeptical and waving it off as a bear, they moved on, though followed the tracks onwards.

What they weren’t expecting to find .. was a cave. A cave that was so weird that some even debated it couldn’t be a cave. A large tree hung over the gap in the cliffside, making a shelter. Ariya stubbornly went forward, tripping herself over on a few … bones. The Campers were in shock, running to the young girl’s aid whilst shining their flashlights at what theh could only assume was a mass grave sight. Piles upon piles of bones, freshly licked clean, gnawed on and stored away. No human remains were found, thank the heavens, but this was enough to give a grown man the jitters. Atlas had picked up the skull belonging to a deformed rabbit, storing it away as a collectable. Whilst the group were too busy being nerds over the bones, however, Harlan had found something much more interesting. The walls to the cave had been bashed up, something heavy having flown or ran into it, along with an inky black feather that left an uncomfortable oily fingers as he touched it. Harlan couldn’t quite figure out what it belonged to; Perhaps an oversized eagle? An obese crow?

Having lost interest in the cave, Silas had ventured to the outskirts of it, only to be jumpscared by a horrifying figure that landed atop of the tree, being too heavy to sustain it’s weight, crushing the branch below and having it fall in front of the cave. The campers were lucky it didn’t block their entrance! But this was their sign to go. Wherever they were, whoever’s lair this was? They were back. And they were pissed.

The menacing shadow from above circled the campers like prey, toying with it’s food as they dashed and darted from the cave, fearing for their lives. Ariya and Atlas had fallen over some overtly large rabbit holes, twisting their ankles, whilst Harlan found himself running head first into a semi-low hanging branch. It was chaos. But they somehow made it back to camp in one piece. Unfortunately for them, they were caught.

May this be a lesson to you young explorers.

[ferrunough]

♘ - a memory of their sibling(s)

A happy one please

[Trying to get the previous image out of your head you open the Euca file off the main section. So many… You pick a random one that has “(sub)” in the title just to be safe from a southern galarian jumpscare.]

“RUN RUN RUN RUN !” (RUN RUN RUN RUN!)

“WHADAYA THIN M DOIN?! GOIN FER A LIGH STROLL?” (WHAT DO YOU THINK I’M DOING?! GOING FOR A LIGHT STROLL)

“I THIN YER WASTING OXYGEN YOU NEED TA RUN !!” (I THINK YOU’RE WASTING OXYGEN YOU NEED TO RUN)

They keep running through the field of tall grass. Based on the grass being above head height and their voices, they have to be nine years old at max. Euca isn’t visible but the grass ahead to the left of view is moving as if being pushed out of someone’s way. The pov avoids stepping on a group of grubbins but loses their balance in the process. They fall over and drop what they’re holding. They’re now facing the direction they came from, the grubbins fleeing from the oncoming force causing the grass to violently shake. All they can do is sit.

They’re yanked backwards and come to their senses, standing quickly and stumbling into a run behind the boy who grabbed them. They both swerve a nauseating amount while avoiding what pokémon they can. Eventually they reach the end of the field where it joins to woods. The pov climbs a tree first, settling among the highest branches. They watch four older children — maybe tweens — running through the field in their general direction.

“—elp ! Ruddy el m !” (*muffled* Help! Ruddy help me!)

The pov looks down to see Euca holding on to a branch tightly. They move down to the next lowest branch to pull him up.

“Sorry, sorry.” (Sorry, sorry.)

Euca sits on the branch above as the pov climbs up. Some vague yelling is heard causing both kids to freeze. Multiple sets of heavy footprints fast approach.

And even faster pass.

Once there’s relative silence, they climb up to their friend and sit beside him. He holds a brown bag in his mouth and pulls one from his pocket. No Name produces a third from their pocket.

“Where’s the over ?” (Where’s the other?)

“Dropped i runnin. Sorry. Aye, grubbuns’ll ge a snack.” (Dropped it running. Sorry. Aye, grubbins’ll get a snack.)

“I’m sure they’ll praise you as Arc itself . Lesee what tastes they got then !” (I’m sure they’ll praise you as Arceus itself. Let’s see what tastes they’ve got then!)

They open their bags and begin divvying up sweets and candies between themselves.

[elionwriter]

Sherlock Holmes the Awakened: a Review

(SPOILERS AHEAD)

Sorry, sorry, sorry, but I just NEED to talk about this game! I have been a Frogwares Holmes fan since the very beginning and 'The Awakened' was always among my favourite titles. Not to mention one of the games that had scared the wits out of me. So I have to speak about the Remake now.

First and foremost, I think it needs to be reiterated that this game was made DURING THE FU****G INVASION OF UKRAINE! During such dark times, the team kept working on this. I would have supported this game even just for this reason alone.

Now, let's be honest: Frogwares never had the most marvelous graphics nor the most polished of gameplays and this entry is not an exception. I still feel the map system is a bit difficult to navigate (I may be an idiot, but I had the same issue with Chapter 1) but I really appreciated the added help the game gives you when you're recreating a scene, letting you know which passage you got wrong. Last game I found myself changing everything trying to hit the right combination so I really liked this fix.

This needs to be said: the game doesn't feel under any shape or form a product for a new fan. Everything from dialogues to game mechanics sort of take for granted that you've at least played 'chapter one'. Honestly? I'm ok with this, I hate having to always go through nearly identical tutorial stages for games I know inside out (like Pokémon) and I believe that most of not all people who are going to get this game ARE old fans!

I wasn't originally a big fan of the new Holmes and Watson models when the last game came out but....I dunno, they have grown on me. I find myself liking them now for, I suppose, no other reason than 'they are very expressive' and 'I've gotten used to them'. I think it's gotten to the point that these might be my favourite models of the two to date. Please ignore how fickle I am! (In honesty, just to draw a similar parallel, when Roger Craig Smith was first announced as Sonic's voice I hated it and now he's my fav Sonic v. actor)

This game has something.....compared to its predecessor, that makes it less scary. I can't really put my finger on it, but I distinctly remember the feeling of claustrophobia building in me when I was in the Black Edelweiss. Or the sheer jumpscare I got when the sacrificed American detective on the altar had tentacles coming out of it and severing his head making it roll to the ground. I remember almost not wanting to paddle the rowboat under the tree of hanging men in the Bayou. I remember how viscerally sick I felt at the lighthouse by all the gore and blood depicted. This time round.....I just didn't. I'm honestly not sure why this didn't hit me nearly as hard as its 2006 predecessor did!

And talking about comparisons, one thing I'm a bit disappointed they didn't grab the chance to do in this remake was fix the loose ends that were left hanging in the 2006 version. I mean....they still abandoned completely the search for that one Maori servant, what happened to all the people they managed to rescue? Who hired the private American detective that was killed? Why give out the cheap pendants? I know I'm a bit dumb and need extra explaining than what is necessarily needed but...I can't be the only one right? Sometimes you want to be told just a bit more.

Now, getting into the really good bits, that make all of it worth it!

'Chapter One' acted as a 'de facto' reboot of the Frogwares Holmes series, and I honestly think that was for the best. I don't really see where they could have gone with things after 'Devil's Daughter' and their Holmes had changed too much to be the same guy from 'The Silver Earring'...let alone Watson. But like this? They have a fresh, clean slate to start off from and they can rebuild the two mains' relashionship and lore from the ground up in a more strictly consequential manner. And the way they are doing it? I think it's state of the art!

The fact that they poke fun at themselves on certain points like Watson stating: "What about when you used to roll up only one of your sleeves? Did you get bored halfway through?!" I think the Devs themselves realized this was a cringe design choice and I like that they said so out loud.

The meta-conversation they wrote in towards the end, 'because yes, this HAS Happened before and the story still has the same outcome', is brilliant. I don't think I've ever seen another remake that acknowledges that it is a remake, and in the general madness that is mounting in the narrative this makes perfect sense! It adds one more layer of horror and inexplicable to the tale. The villain's warning 'that the Final Problem is coming and Sherlock will fall in the abyss too' is such a powerful way to use Canon. The prophecy is only made more real and dreadful by the fact that this person is aware of what has already happen in a similar but different scenario!

Also, not them using that one quote from 'The Valley of Fear' novel which happens to be one of my all time favourites!

I say, Watson,’ he whispered, ‘would you be afraid to sleep in the same room as a lunatic, a man with softening of the brain, an idiot whose mind has lost its grip?’ ‘Not in the least,’ I answered in astonishment. 'Ah, that’s lucky,’ he said, and not another word would he utter.

I think the thing that has most benefited from the Remake is Watson's character. Compared to the 2006 version, this Watson is a truly compelling character in his own right and this time round he's not just along for the ride. In this version, you simply cannot imagine how Holmes would have done it on his own. Watson was in every way a key component to the solution of the problem and the reason why Holmes didn't drown in madness. That point is driven home by Rochester asking 'How did you defeat me?' and Holmes answering 'I made a friend!'

Much of the narrative in the game was focused on Holmes truly learning to accept Watson's friendship and him as a person when he was still clinging so much to his old imaginary friend. You can see how, at first, Holmes refuses to be honest with the Doctor about what he thinks and feels and it's only as they move forward in the adventure that they both open up to each other. You can see as the adventure progresses that Holmes shifts his desperate cries from 'Jon' to 'Watson' to 'John' and the Doctor goes more and more often from 'Holmes' to 'Sherlock'. Mycroft also points this out when he says that Sherlock 'went from one Jon to another'. But this one, John Watson, is real and there to stay. In the context of a story that happens mostly in the detective's mind, Watson's friendship is really what turns the situation around!

I could add of little tid bits which were so random and on the nose that somehow worked, like the possessed 'Heidi' doll or the fact that you had to actually 'Kill Holmes' with the booby traps instead of avoiding them.

Also, "The director Guygax was randomly killed.....by a doll?!????!?!?! Yeah, let's just walk out of here no questions asked. That's too deep a wormhole even for this f***d up Adventure to go down. I'm sure nobody is gonna ask us questions, suspect or stop us as we go out the main doors!" 😃 -Holmes, probably.

So, yeah, I loved this game despite it not being perfect and my love and support goes to Frogwares more that ever!

[mirbisduschoen]

I know I'm late to the party, but RE: Village AU where

instead of Lord Donna of House Beneviento being the Lord with lots of experience in making children's puppets, it's Lord James of House Henson.

Yes, I do mean THAT Jim Henson.

Lord Henson's heart is in the right place, cadou be damned, and he's even got a hidden cave full of village children he saved from his new "siblings" and "mother", who he refers to as his "audience". Even when he's got an eldritch mushroom hivemind whispering things in his brain, he can't help but be at least a little wholesome.

Some of the things happening in that section of the game are the same, except for the fact that the newly Cadou-infected Lord Henson is somewhat less successful at being creepy than his canon counterpart. The elevator lights flicker creepily and come back on to reveal...Beaker with a marker halfway through writing "Welcome, Ethan". He turns around to see Ethan staring and "MEEP"s loudly before scampering off through a hidden door in the elevator.

On the other hand, entering the creepy area with the fog, trees, and hanging puppets made the the jumpscare by the Fire Gang from "Labyrinth" leaping out from among the trees way scarier than it should have been, but the menace had mostly gone when the hanging puppets started singing the chorus. (The Wild Gang did try to remove his limbs though, like in the movie, and Ethan was very surprised to find his head can come off without killing him, which led him to believe Mia wasn't telling the whole truth to him.)

Instead of Angie being the psycho doll, it's the (somewhat dilapidated) original Skeksi puppets from "The Dark Crystal". All ten of them, acting like children. (They are technically cousins to the Dimetrescu girls.)

Unlike canon, this section of the game DID have a deathtrap, but the deathtrap was Kermit doing his "Mystery Box" game with the caveat that failure to correctly guess the object would lead to a trapdoor in the floor opening onto...a dunk tank. Ethan stressed himself out about the game, thinking he'd die if he got it wrong, fucked up, and was very confused to be left soaking wet but completely OK.

Edit: The Skeksis aren't the ones you need to worry about. If you ever visit Lord Henson, Wilkins will offer you some godawful instant coffee while insisting it's the greatest thing on Earth. DO NOT show any signs of displeasure at being served instant bean water that's been sitting around collecting mildew and mold since the 50s.

[leonameowzz]

👻NRC Halloween Haunted House Dorm Designs👻

If instead of the stamp rally, we got an inter-dorm haunted house competition. The winning dorm is up to your interpretation. (Based off the Halloween designs for each dorm with slight changes/elaboration) 

❣️Heartslabyul❣️

Location: Greenhouse; Theme: Skeleton

Trenches have been dug and concealed strategically where students are hiding and ready to crawl out when visitors approach

Ace and Deuce go full on Grudge-mode as they chase after visitors on all fours, not caring about dirtying their costumes

Cater is sprawled out fabulously atop a raised gravestone for people to snap pictures (basically his SSR card irl); He even takes some selfies when no one’s looking

But beware as Riddle and Trey who are disguised as stone angels guarding each side will ‘come alive’ to chase off visitors who linger around too long

🐾Savanaclaw🐾

Location: Coliseum; Theme: Pirate

Dorm members are dressed as pirates but drowned (think Black Pearl’s crew from Pirates of Caribbean) to pop out from cracks among the shipwreck

Ruggie uses his UM to make visitors purposely approach where his dorm members are waiting, also using magic to rock the ship slightly or make items float

Guarding the treasure trove is Captain Leona, sitting upon his throne sexily smugly, using magic to splash water and sand at visitors, growling menacingly at those who dare venture too close

Jack’s making sure no one goes overboard, though he himself is having a blast scaring others

🌊Octavinelle🌊

Location: Alchemy Lab; Theme: Mummy/Scientist

Jade is submerged in the water culture tank, pretending to be unconscious, only to suddenly open his eyes and jumpscare visitors who lean in to get a closer look, all the while smiling deviously

Several operation tables are set up for those to lie down if they’re feeling brave, and the moment they do, Floyd comes barging in with other dorm members brandishing fake knives with a maniacal look on his face

Meanwhile Azul is using magic to control bandages hanging from the ceiling to wrap around terrified visitors as they are running away from Floyd’s gang

⛅Scarabia⛅

Location: Mystery Shop; Theme: Werewolf

Low growls and howling along with the scurrying of feet surround the visitors from all directions once they step inside the mystery shop, having been attracted by the sweet smell of apple crepes on display (giving off  Little Red Riding Hood vibes)

A pair of glowing red eyes approach them as they’re backed into a corner, turns out it’s Kalim, doing the scariest pose he can muster (though it turns out more handsome than scary haha oof)

Visitors are lulled into a false of security by Kalim’s cuteness, only to be caught off guard by Jamil interrupting suddenly, going feral and ‘DOKAN NICE SHOT’-ing everyone

Just kidding, he doesn’t actually yeet anyone away, but magic carpets come swooping in to whisk visitors back to the exit

✨Pomefiore✨

Location: Mirror Chamber; Theme: Vampire

Mirror chamber is transformed into a mirror maze where dorm members pop in and out of the reflections dramatically to scare visitors

Epel is having a field day making the scariest poses at unsuspecting people who were enchanted by his innocent looks (he had initially wanted to emerge from the green fountain covered in goo but was shot down by Vil immediately LOL)

Vil is the final treat, showing up as the lights dim to illuminate his pale skin while posing elegantly and baring his fangs, much to the shock and delight of the visitors

Rook stands by outside for crowd control, knowing Vil’s fans would want to take pictures with him after the haunted house

🔥 Ignihyde 🔥

Location: Library; Theme: Headless Horseman

A thin layer of fog settles on the ground with an eerie breeze blowing at intervals, coupled with the superb projection mapping and 3D-holographs controlled by the dorm students, sets up the perfect chilling mood

Ortho has completely camouflaged himself, only revealing his blue flame, as he “guides” visitors through the forest of Sleepy Hollow

He’s actually leading them to where Idia is, as the latter gallops in on a robotic ghost horse and removes his pumpkin helmet for the dramatic headless reveal

🐉Diasomnia🐉

Location: Ramshackle Dorm; Theme: Dragon

The impressive dragon centerpiece looms ahead in full glory, highlighted by the dim green glow of the floating lanterns adorning the sidewalk, enchanted by Silver and other dorm members

Occasionally, lightning flashes across the sky, courtesy of Malleus, as he perches atop the dragon head with MC beside him

Lilia hangs upside down on nearby tree branches, ready to surprise passing visitors with a “Boo~”, his bats swooping down in flocks

Sebek doesn’t hesitate to go all out shouting “FOOLISH NINGENS, FEAR MY MASTER!!!”, even Grim and the Ramshackle ghosts take part, blowing will-o-wisps around to chase visitors

[rose-of-pollux]

So, I ended up down a metaphorical rabbit hole and had a twofold humbling experience last evening.

I was looking up stories of Hollywood ghost sightings (...as you do...) and saw an offhand mention that among the ghosts seen in Hollywood is Lon Chaney Sr.  I just got through reading a biography about him... which included a story of how he saved a whole bunch of baby birbs, so, you know, that got my full attention really quickly--

Kudos to the man for doing exactly what you’re supposed to do when you find fallen nestlings--put them back in the same tree as close as you can to the original position.  The Audubon Society tells you to do that to this day.  But I digress...

I know that one of Lon Chaney’s most famous roles was Erik in Phantom of the Opera.  I had my Phantom phase from 2005-2007, and while I was mostly stuck on the 1986 musical, I did watch and appreciate Lon’s portrayal of Erik in the 1925 movie.  However, I did scoff--and continued to scoff--at all the stories of people getting shocked in the theatres and swooning during the famous unmasking scene.  My thoughts were basically, “Pffft, yeah, that’s not that scary.”

Fast forward to last evening.  I got intrigued by the mention of Lon’s ghost being spotted and looked into it further.  What I didn’t know was that one of the websites I was looking at had a gigantic header of Lon as Erik in full fury that was taking its own sweet time loading.

Cue Humbling Experience #1: the header finally loads, and I effectively get jumpscared at the very same make-up job I’ve been scoffing at since 2005 and nearly yeet my laptop across the room.

...Mr Chaney, Sir, I sincerely apologize for everything I said about your Erik look since 2005.  I 100% deserved that.

Anyway, so, I get over the scare and keep reading about the sightings of his ghost--

Ok, yes, that makes perfect sense that he’d be frequently revisiting a place he had some attachment to during his mortal life.

But the studio is gone now, as noted in that blurb.  I knew that part of it (but not that Lon frequented it in the afterlife) because I was ranting about it to Ksturf the other day about how they callously got rid of an iconic piece of film history.  So I looked into it, wondering “what bunch of idiots” decided to get rid of it and what dumb thing they dared to put in its place--

Cue Humbling Experience #2: the realization that the thing responsible for the destruction of an iconic piece of film history and Lon’s visiting grounds is a thing headed by Nintendo--a presence that has been in my life for as long as I can remember and has fundamentally shaped me into who I am, and that one of the “bunch” who was involved in the discussions for Nintendo World is very, very likely to have been the late and venerated Mr. Satoru Iwata, whom I also hold in very great respect, as he was actively involved in the many parts of Nintendo that shaped who I am today.

...Mr. Iwata, Sir, I meant no disrespect.

There’s no way of knowing, of course, whether Mr. Iwata knew they were tearing down the historic Phantom stage for Nintendo World, and while I’m sure he’s not the one with enough clout in this situation to blame, anyway (that falls on Universal, who could’ve spared the Phantom stage and chosen a different location for Nintendo World), I still have incredibly mixed emotions about this becase, on the one hand, iconic film history gone forever, but on the other hand, one of my most favorite things in the world is going to have a presence there soon (they’re saying Nintendo World will open in Los Angeles next year).

And, of course... what’s Lon’s spirit doing now with all this going on?  The stage is gone, so he has no more catwalks to pace.

Mr. Chaney, Sir, whether you move on or stick around, I hope you find peace.

[pokelec]

A Dead By Daylight Novice Reviews All the Killers' Trailers (and makes suggestions for what they'd change)

Reveal trailers are paramount for an audience's first look at new characters. First impressions are everything, so your trailer for your shiny new character needs to be perfect for what's in store for the video game! I started playing DBD a month-ish ago but watched all the trailers for the killers before I started playing, and watching some of them got me to thinking about how I would have changes some of the trailers. Some require no changes, while others I think need an overhaul.

Disclaimer: This is in my personal opinion, is not objective at all, and I'm only doing this because this is something I've been thinking about for a month and need some sort of release or else my brain will implode.

Under a read more bc this gets long.

The Trapper - The first trailer! For a first trailer, I think this one is pretty spot on. It follows a lot of beats of slasher movies, in terms of following a survivor that's gonna be killed, her encountering dead bodies, and the suspense of the killer looking for her. Considering Dead by Daylight is effectively a playable horror movie, I think this is a perfect intro to the game. As for what this means for the Trapper, aka our Jason substitute, I think it showed him off alright! We saw his bear traps and got a good look at him doing this thing. Pretty good, all things considered!

The Wraith - The Wraith, Hillbilly, and Nurse all features gameplay as the means of showing off what the killers can do. The Wraith's isn't too bad, since it does show off his Wailing Bell power enough for people to understand "This is a killer that can turn invisible, and you may not know he's right next to you until it's too late". I wish it has a more cinematic style, but I'll be forgiving here because DBD was still young when this was made. I also thing it showed the new map, Autohaven, pretty well. I'm not too big of a fan of ending the trailer with his mori, but that could be because I don't find his mori exciting.

The Hillbilly - Next is our Leatherface expy! This one feels shorter, still using gameplay to introduce our new killer but at least shows off his chainsaw wielding and hints at the map associated with him. I like the shot of him revving his chainsaw underneath the tree with the animal carcasses! I don't mind the ending with his mori here because even if it's off screen, getting cut with a chainsaw is brutal enough to leave a lasting impression. Again, I wish it had the cinematic style, but it's fine.

The Nurse - I think the Nurse's trailer is the weakest of the three gameplay-focused trailers. The text intro is... fine, but I honestly think it fits the Doctor more. It does an okay job of showing us her Blinking mechanics, but it also doesn't? Like we see her teleporting to Nea, but it feels lackluster. I do like the ending shot of dead Nea as the Nurse just blinks away. I'm not quite sure how to change this trailer to be more effective in my opinion, if I'm being honest.

The Shape/Michael Myers - Our first franchise killer, and a perfect trailer. The first second in, we hear John Carpenter's legendary Halloween score. Even non-horror fans will quickly pick up which killer this is. The suspense of Laurie see Michael, Michael coming up the stairs, and especially the shot of Laurie and Michael being on opposite sides of a door is *chef's kiss*. We see enough of the Shape to be satisfied and eager for his release. It's the perfect trailer for him AND Laurie imo.

The Huntress - Ah, the Huntress. She is my favorite killer to play as, and I probably have the majority of my playtime on her. Unfortunately, I think her trailer leaves a lot to be desired. It's the start of the 'let's look at the killer from different angles, have them turn around to the camera, and then attack the viewer' trend of DBD trailers. I call for a complete rewrite! Here's what I would have done:

The map is Mother's Dwelling. Two survivors (David aaaand idk Dwight?) are running and hides behind some trees. We hear the Huntress's lullaby get louder, and we see the bottom half of her and her axe as she walks past the survivors. The lullaby gets quieter, and the survivors take a sigh of relief. Then, a hatchet is thrown and lodged into Dwight's head! David screams and runs. We then see our full look at the Huntress as she picks up the body. Her signature lullaby continues as the trailer ends.

The Hag - The Hag's trailer also follows a similar formula to the Huntress' trailer. There is an animation bump, so we get to see the Hag's emaciated appearance in full detail. I'm not too mad about that, since the Hag's appearance is unsettling enough to cause viewer distress and curiosity more than the Huntress' would. However, because this is a DBD original killer, we need to see what her deal is with her trailer. Thus, I propose this:

On the swamp, Ace is repairing a generator but hears another survivor (Dwight?) get hooked. Ace goes to rescue him, but we see as he steps on a rune in front of the poor survivor. The illusion of the Hag pops up, jumpscaring poor Ace (and the audience) but disappears. Ace then rescues Dwight for real, but Dwight quickly runs away. Why? Because the real Hag is behind Ace and lunges at him, biting his neck. Trailer ends.

The Doctor - I now realize that my taste in writing DBD trailers is 'have the survivor do a thing, they think the killer is near, they then relax, and only then are they attacked by the killer'. It's a bit stereotypical, but again, we're dealing with a game centered on the horror genre, so that's why I'm okay with it.

I mention this because that's effectively the story beats the the Doctor's trailer follows. Instead of attacking Feng, however, the Doctor just looks at her run and stares menacingly. Even though we don't see the Doctor's shock therapy powers here, I think the long look at the killer is still effective because of his design. A first reaction I (and other reactors) experienced went from the initial "OMG the killer is here, run girl!" to "Why tf are his own eyes and mouth held open like that A Clockwork Orange scene?!". We also don't linger for too long on him either, so I think this trailer works well enough.

The Cannibal/Leatherface - Another franchise killer, this time good ol Leatherface! This trailer is a little different, using text to draw up suspense. I do like the reveal of "What is his mask made of? YOU.", but I would've loved to have seen some actual Cannibal action, or at least his in-game model doing his Texas chainsaw massacring thing.

The Nightmare/Freddy Kruger - Oh, c'mon, we got one of the most well known characters in horror in this little video game, and all we get for his trailer is some scratch marks and a 'killer does nothing but stand there menacingly and attack the camera' trailer?! I do like the detail that when we see him, it's DBD's version of the dream world, but we could've at least featured a survivor falling asleep and then seeing him for themselves.

(Also kinda sad it's the reboot version of Freddy instead of the Wes Craven version and the survivor is Quentin instead of Nancy Freaking Thompson, but I guess we should be happy he's in the game at all)

The Pig - Largely, I think this trailer is pretty good. I'm not too big of a fan of Amanda just standing there menacingly near Dwight, but I do like everything else. I especially love the security camera shot of the famous Saw bathroom and the cutaway when Dwight's reverse bear trap activates (but we still see a good bit of gore!). It feels very Saw-like.

The Clown - This trailer is pretty good! Even though we don't see the Clown in much action, we get a lot of visual storytelling with the bottles, the circus, and the ring of fingers, all leading up to the reveal of his face. The diagetic music from Kate is a nice touch, too.

The Spirit - This one is alright. There is a lot of focus on Adam, but it does build up tension to when the Spirit reveals herself. My biggest problem with it is the ending card that is used for her. Yes, I know that's traditional for the end of these trailers, but her pose and expression is kinda meh after the face she makes when she's about to attack Adam. Seriously, that couple of seconds haunts me (sorry) otherwise.

The Legion - My other favorite killer to play! It's so funny how I didn't like Legion when I first heard of them but now they're my favorites. I love how the trailer emphasizes that the new killer(s) looks similar to survivors and the brutality of when Frank reveals himself and stabs Jeff. However, the trailer does a disservice to the other members of the Legion. C'mon, that's their whole shtick!

My recommendation would be to end with a shot of Julie, Joey, and Suzie joining Frank (and obviously getting a good look at them) and surrounding Jeff right before they all stab him. This is a little disingenuous since you can't play as all four of them at once (unless you count that one Blighted skin...), but you also can't disguise yourself as a survivor, so... Yeah. They are The Legion! They act as one! Treat them as such in their trailer, dammit!

The Plague - The Plague's trailer is interesting. Even though we don't see her in action, I think it's fine because seeing her puke on people during her trailer might be a bit off-putting. Just a bit. We still get some storytelling with her whispered prayers, the candles and incense thingy, and, of course, her face. I think because the Plague's design is inherently unique among all the killers so far, she can get away with the 'let's just tease the audience by looking at the killer and nothing else' trend.

The Ghost Face - Not too much I can complain about with this one. I do like the wtf factor of 'wait, why is a DBD trailer at a modern day warehouse???', especially if you're watching a trailer playlist like I first did. It all makes sense when you learn it's Ghost Face, though! Also, justice for that poor cashier.

The Demogorgon - RIP Stranger Things DLC. I don't watch this series, but I really like the Hawkins Lab map and I'm going to be sad when it's gone. :(

I love this trailer! When I hear the Stranger Things music, it actually gives me chills. I'm legitimately so sad the DLC will be gone from the stores, but I do own them myself. I need to actually sit down and play Demo, Steve, and Nancy one of these days. Why am I crying? No, I'm not kidding, why is this trailer making me cry? Renew the contract, Netflix, please! I don't want this stuff to disappear forever!

(Is it weird that I've been nagged on for years to watch Stranger Things but it's Dead By Daylight that's actually convincing me to watch it?)

The Oni - This is an interesting case. The "main" theme of this trailer is the contrast of modern day Japan's Yui and her motorcycle vs the literal ancient samurai Oni. I think it works out, and again, I think the presentation makes up for us not seeing too much of the new killer.

The Deathslinger - Oh boy, do I love my cowboys! This trailer is nearly perfect. We establish the western setting quickly over the sounds of some poor bastard in pain. The reeling in of the chains and the closeup of The Redeemer is so great. My biggest complaint with this trailer is that we linger a bit too long on the Deathslinger's face at the end. Yeah, he's creepy with his eyes and his disjointed jaw, but you can only look at a horror for so long before you want to move on.

The Executioner/Pyramid Head - I like this trailer! I haven't played Silent Hills, but I'm at least somewhat familiar with the premise and Pyramid Head. I love the shot of him passing the classroom door window and the sword cutting a rift through the ground. Yeah, my lack of SH knowledge makes me unable to recommend any changes here.

The Blight - I have no changes to suggest. The Blight's transformation is super horrific, reminding me of the typical depiction of Jekyll and Hyde. Honestly, he is so much more terrifying in his trailer and in lore than in gameplay.

The Twins - No changes needed. BHVR is really starting to hit their stride with these trailers! Seeing Victor come out of Charlotte's body is amazing.

The Trickster - We depart from all of the other trailers by using an K-POP music video style. It does a good job at referencing some of his story beats (namely torturing/killing people, recording their screams, and using them in his music), but it doesn't really make me afraid of the Trickster. Sure, it fits with his theme, but I would have preferred seeing more of him, y'know, instead of just looking pretty and making faces? I still wouldn't change the art style of the trailer, though. It's fitting enough for him and a breath of fresh air from the doom and gloom.

The Nemesis - No change needed, mostly because I'm not too familiar with the Resident Evil series, but seeing Jill, the twink Leon, and Nemesis on-screen is a very cool moment. Also can we get an F in chat for Meg?

The Cenobite/Pinhead - This is a perfect trailer. We got the Lament Configuration, we got the chains pinning up Dwight, we got Pinhead himself! What more can I ask for?

If you actually made it this far, thank for reading? I don't think I really contribute anything to the fandom with this analysis, but DBD has been living rent free in my brain for the past month, so I may as well write something, eh?

[teacubes]

I got into twisted wwonderland a while ago and was happy to see you did requests for it! If it's not too much, could you do some short Octavinelle cuddle hcs please? If you don't do multiple people, then you could just do Jade. Thank you! ^^

GURLL, IM A HARDCORE SIMP FOR TWISTED WONDERLAND LIKE DEADASS I WAS THIS CLOSE 👌 TO CHANGE MY ACCOUNT TO TWISTED WONDERLAND FICS. I MIGHT CHANGE IF I GET MORE SUPPORT ON CHANGING THO 👁️👁️

┏━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━┓

Pairings: Azul Ashengrotto x reader, Jade Leech x reader, Floyd Leech x reader

T/w: none, only fluff

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𝕬𝖟𝖚𝖑 𝕬𝖘𝖍𝖊𝖓𝖌𝖗𝖔𝖙𝖙𝖔:

Alright, Azul didn't know he was this touch-starved after he met you

It started when you hugged him after seeing him being tired bc mans a stronk business man

He immediately melted on your arms, getting putty with the warmth that y'all shared

His hands immediately flew to hug you back, like automatically

After realizing what he had done, he gently push you away and got really embarrassed

His cheeks were tinted with blush, a shade that was similar to tomato

Cue Jade and Floyd snickering over Azul's face

Obviously he asked you not to do again, but he was fine if it was private (he is only okay with light PDA like hand-holding, forehead kiss and patting etc)

When y'all go back to his room to chill, he immediately ask for hugs again (btw he was embarrassed when he ask)

It's slowly become a routine that y'all have a cuddling hour

Also!! He likes to play a soft jazz music as you guys cuddle

Y'all would talk about how y'all day went on school

Maybe also talking about opening a shop when y'all graduate

Sometimes you guys would be napping as yall cuddle

Of course he will give you a soft peck on your lips to remind you he love you so much!!

He would tell you some funny stories about Jade and Floyd to make you laugh cause he loves seeing you smile

He felt really safe when y'all are cuddling

Sad boi hour? Cuddle time! Also bring some cookies or warm tea (unless you want chocolate drink)

Hugging Azul will also make you feel safe because the hug was genuine af bro

It was like y'all are eachother safe space

Sometimes you guys would tickle eachother though (Mans was confident he would win in tickle war but y'all got draw ✌️😔✨)

Or even a soft make-out because yes

He loves it when you kiss every part of his face, he felt so loved as his stomach is filled with butterflies

In the end, y'all really so soft on loving eachother

Even sometimes you guys would have an argument, CUDDLE TO MAKE UP

Btw he loves being a small and big spoon so y'all occasionally switch

Sometimes yall cuddle together when one of y'all are reading stuff

Cause y'all are like glue to eachother hehe

OKAY HORROR MOVIES

He will try to act brave in front of you you

Jade obvs be the one who is hosting it

When y'all cuddle as you watch

Expect a sudden jump from him

He won't scream, no no

He would j u m p

So you finna boing with him

SOMETIMES y'all get yeeted along with Floyd so good luck LMFAOSIDIKASJ

Jade would be sitting his ass on sofa and watching y'all on the ground like 👁️👄👁️

Azul def scolded Floyd but you are too busy laughing because deadass you three just got yeeted along the jumpscare

Def would grab you and sit back down and continue cuddle

But among the trio, Azul is the one def got jumpscared a lot (first place to easily get spooked)

⚝──⭒─⭑─⭒──⚝

𝕵𝖆𝖉𝖊 𝕷𝖊𝖊𝖈𝖍:

You were the one who brings up because you wanted some cuddles

Jade, being the gentleman.

Didn't know how to do since he was quite new to the ✨couple things✨

But he was up to try it!!

“Oh my, this is quite nice” That's what he said for the first time after your guiding

His expression doesn't say a word but the moment you snuggle close to him, he immediately went b o o m

Like?? You are so tiny in his arms

(I stfg this man and Floyd is a mf tree 😭)

Seeing you being safe and comfortable his arms, not to mention being cute as hell

He thanked the Great Seven for blessing him with you

He just chuckles and pet your head gently

Of course him being gentle with you made you fall asleep and he loves watching you sleeping

Not in a creepy way though, like he is adoring you and appreciating you

He gave you a light smooch on the forehead before laying down back and gently patting your back like a baby

Cause you are a baby to him, sorry I don't make the rules ✌️😔

Cuddling you brightens his day up, like he is so motivated to make a new dishes related to mushroom or finding someone who is troubled so he can bring the student to meet Azul

Also he is def a beeg spoon because he loves you being in his arm

Sometimes you managed to convince him to be a small spoon

And w o a h, he felt peaceful with you hugging him like it was okay to relax for once

One time he accidentally fell asleep and woke up confused

He just look at you and blinked

But obvs sometimes he will tease you while you are cuddling with him

And what did you do?

Tried to tickle Jade but Jade ain't ticklish

But he is ticklish on his foot tho, good luck reaching there

Bc this man will tickle you first before you can even reach there

And he will just sitting there, giving his usual smile as he tickle you

I STG EVEN YOU TOLD HIM TO STOP, HE WON'T

But moving on, when one of y'all are moody

Y'all literally like ✨emergency meeting✨

Because y'all know that yall will make eachother feel better

But obvs sometimes y'all will have movie night and this man will pick horror movie

Because he thinks it's cute when you guys are cuddling, you would try to smoosh yourself against him because you were scared

To summarize, you: (;ŏ﹏ŏ)

Jade: (人*´V｀)｡*ﾟ+

I swear he won't get jumpscared so he is entertained on watching you getting spooked (last place on getting spooked bc this mf ain't scared)

⚝──⭒─⭑─⭒──⚝

𝕱𝖑𝖔𝖞𝖉 𝕷𝖊𝖊𝖈𝖍:

The moment when y'all started dating

He already started cuddling you

Like hug or cuddles, just expect one of them when he see you

Of course he will refrain cuddling you in class

But in front of Azul and Jade?

“But Shrimpy is so cute—♪ Look how tiny they are—♪”

Of course sometimes he is in bad mood, he wouldn't be hugging or cuddle you

Alright time to be a beeg spoon yall

He is gigantic babey so just place his head on your chest, pat his head then he will feel better

Obvs it will be a solid silent 30 minutes

But he will start talking why he is in stinky mood

It's either someone annoyed him or the teacher is nagging him because of his poopoo result

Of course you are just listening and just give him a smooch then his mood go: 💯

You probably would try to do something to make his mood even better since he is a very active baby

Sometimes he wanna go for a swim but mainly he just want to cuddle

And he would be needy af so expect a make-out and cuddle in the same time

But if y'all gonna nap as y'all cuddle

Mans is speed on sleeping (not fast like Leona but you get it)

He sometimes would squeeze you too hard when yall sleeping and it would woke you up sometime

Because of that, you got a stronk ribs and deadass got used to it

Don't worry, he don't always squeeze you in sleep

It's just happen in few seconds then he is loose on you

Okay s o, sometimes Jade would host a horror movie night

Then he would cuddle you so tight as you guys watch cause he is low-key scared but also not

But there's a moment where the jumpscare is really too frightening (second place on getting spooked bc the majority of the scene was not scary to him but more funny)

Prepare to get yeeted together out of the sofa

He ain't letting you go tho, y'all live together and die together

Then he would be laughing like

“Ahh, it was so scary, right? Lil' Shrimpy—♪”

YOU WOULD BE SITTING BETWEEN HIS ARM CONFUSED LIKE??? YALL WERE AT SOFA FOR A SECOND AGO???

He also give you a surprise cuddle attack at any hour and minute so prepare your heart

[simplyclary]

Loki: For All Time. Always.

(Photo credits: Marvel Studios)

[Warning: Major Spoilers ahead for the 6th episode of Loki]

A season finale that fans have been waiting for, the Disney+ series Loki, led by British actor Tom Hiddleston, had fans in their seats and anticipating what is next for Loki's story arc. The finale answered a lot of questions that people had since the beginning of the series and introducing what is next for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), including a much-awaited foe.

Being a big fan of the MCU, I look forward to every series and movies that the franchise has to offer, and there was no way that I was going to miss this one. Amidst not really liking the character of Loki during the past years, watching this series made me have a glimmer of appreciation towards him (also, Tom plays the part flawlessly) and the season finale indeed had me screaming and awaiting the next installment that will involve one of the topics in comic book television that I am most fascinated about: The Multiverse. The final episode of the season, like others, had its ups and downs, but amidst those, it is still a suiting finale that had fans excited for what's about to unfold.

Right off the bat, the opening is worth commending as it was not the typical Marvel opening that was used in previous movies and series. Along with showing the history and heroes of the MCU, the opening for this finale episode included famous lines and quotes from the characters themselves, which included the iconic "Wakanda Forever" from Black Panther and "What is grief, if not love persevering?" from WandaVision, among others. This caused a sense of nostalgia among many fans, as it served as a flashback to many iconic moments from the movies and series.

The first scene also presented a horror-gothic vibe as Loki and Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) approach a mysterious fortress, known as the Citadel, which appeared mysterious and thrilling for fans. Include a jumpscare from animated character Miss Minutes (voiced by Tara Strong) and you get the whole package of horror. The introduction of Kang (played by Jonathan Majors) was also anticipated by fans, as he was already expected to appear in the upcoming 2023 flick Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

A romantic moment between Loki and Sylvie was also featured, and personally speaking, I am not against yet also not for it because basically Loki is having a romantic moment with himself, considering that Sylvie is just another "Variant" or version of Loki.

The moment that really had me clenching on my seat was the last bits of the scene when it showed that the timeline was branching into multiple branches, just like how a tree would grow its branches in different directions. This scene was the one that really proved to me that there is a multiversal war at risk and this could be the cause of former villains appearing at the upcoming Spider Man: No Way Home and the meeting of Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch). Also, what was that scene of Mobius (Owen Wilson) forgetting about Loki? It had me utterly confused yet I know that it is a ramification of the branching out of the timeline.

With these being what I like the most about the episode, the only one thing I didn't really like was the lengthy scene of Kang simply talking with Loki and Sylvie. I'm not really a fan of lengthy conversations that take up almost half of the episode. Although I can see that it was really detailed and worth appreciating, it really wasn't my cup of tea.

This series, like WandaVision, set out the blueprint for the upcoming multiverse arc. With the timeline now branched out, who knows what possibilities are in store for the future movies. Will fans see various versions of their favorite superheroes like Iron Man and Captain America? Will they see all 3 versions of Spider-Man in one movie? Only Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige knows about this and fans will just have to wait and see where this goes next.

Loki is available to stream on Disney+.

[hollenka99]

Now That I’ve Played SoulScape...

This will be a spoiler review so please don't read this if you plan on playing the game yourself. Will naturally also contain spoilers for SeptiScape too so the same goes for that game as well.

General Comments

(This was originally all bulletpointed but I decided it was easier to read as paragraphs instead)

It's so good to see the -Scape (Scapeverse?) boys again. It's been over 2 years so their face design looks slightly different but that's expected when it comes to continual development as an artist. My favourite new looks are Chase, Marvin and Nega.

Also voice acting???? Hell yeah! Marvin’s expressions give me the kind of vibe that they were inspired by cat memes and his voice acting seems perfect for him. 

I was just wandering around the woods, exploring the area, when Angus makes a pun involving loss. It took me by surprise and I spent a full 10 seconds being super confused by this seemingly random comment before noticing the trees. Then I just wanted to flip my laptop. I can't remember if it was Dev Ritchy or Dev Blake who claimed responsibility but I want you to know I was glaring at my screen for a minute because of what you did. Have been lowkey wondering whether Lucky Luciano was there since this happened last night.

Straight up melted when Bing saw Angus in his true appearance and they started calling each other sunflower and angel etc. Their reunion during the good end and any/all interactions they have in this game send me every time.

I spent so long just wandering around Attitude City. Mostly because I was too dumb to realise the cliffs were to the side and you could get the bus to the skating rink. At least I got to explore the place thoroughly.

Loved seeing some characters from SPG making cameos. I saw Mack’s sprite and went “Surely not... oh my god it is!”. The dialogue with Billy where he makes references to chapter 1 of GITS were brilliant.

The only issue I had was in the church because for some reason it was super laggy and quite difficult to do anything in that room. But that it is just one small area that slightly dampened the experience. Everything else in the game ran smoothly.

Chad just showing up and being like "Well... how about I let someone of your exact description have all this weed of the dankest degree for free." was iconic.

Fuck Stacy. That's all I'm going to say. But it does go to show that men aren't the only ones who are capable of being abusers and thank you for showing that.

I had to take a moment when Jackie told his younger self that they were braver and stronger than they gave themselves credit for.

I am so glad Marvin has a friend like Beau who had his back while he was being taken advantage of. The world needs more Beaus.

I loved the art on Beau's cards. If it’s mentioned in the credits, sorry because I think I may have missed it but kudos to whoever designed those cards.

I could watch that empty room all day. I'm sure there might have been an easter egg if you chose to stay in the room multiple times but I didn't pursue it. Didn't even see Angus show up because I was anticipating a mild jumpscare from [OMITTED] so my hands were covering my face.

Not entirely sure what the cause of Emma's death is. When Henrik said he blamed himself, I originally thought he might have made the fatal mistake of letting a baby sleep in his bed. But I doubt Henrik would do something that dangerous, especially since he has a background in medicine. It's more likely to be an unfortunate case of cot death/SIDS, which just makes it sadder because sometimes that stuff can simply Happen and nobody is to blame, least of all the new father who simply left his daughter alone for a short while to get some sleep.

Bing's boss battle was so tough, I swear. He kept doing that attack where multiple people suffered a fair bit of damage. I lost to him once because I did not stock up properly. Classic case of not having enough BB when shops were available then not having access to shops when I did have enough BB to buy a bunch of white choc cookies and Jameson. 2nd time lucky though.

I found burn damage is your best friend with bosses. Now I will forever swear by this method whenever I replay this game.

I managed it on my first try but man, the fight between Anti and Angus was rough too. I couldn't get Angus' code manipulation trick to work with Anti so no burns to help me this time. Plus, the guy kept freezing time and healing himself like wow, who'd be mean enough to replenish their HP mid-fight. Anyway, it ended up being a case of them continually hitting each other with occasional misses and me feeding Angus cookies whenever his HP grew yellow.

When it came to the scene where Anti gets his souls back, I honestly thought Angus would give up his chance of feeling whole with nothing to fall back on because of the card Beau showed us where someone falls off a tower. I'm really glad Angus got to have a good ending too. Both he and Anti deserve to be whole and happy.

BAD END SEAN BAD END SEAN BAD END SEAN

No but seriously, I think it's really cool that both of the SeptiScape endings are canon. I have no clue who the shadow person could be but I am hyped to eventually find out.

I can't wait for EndScape to be released and we have literally only gotten SoulScape in the past 24 hours.

Angus and Anti

Thought these two deserved their own section since the game largely revolves around them and their conflict of wanting to exist but needing Posi and Nega to do so.

That first bit with Anti's horror world creeped me the hell out. It was after 10pm, maybe around 11 even. My room was completely dark except for my screen. I was so tense the whole time I walked around, incredibly wary throughout that section. I was living when Anti confronted Angus once you caught up to him. And when Angus went to find him in the woods near the campsite? My mind kept yelling 'ThisisbadThisisbadThisisbad' as we approached.

After that first bit, I looked forward to any Anti section because I love his character. He was completely justified in his motivations. I mean, Angus admits to stealing Nega as soon as he returns to his house with Sean after their fight in the first game. If anything, I'm surprised it takes him as long as it does for him to realise [OMITTED] is the true Anti.

I really liked the truth that it hadn't just been Anti that Angus affected when he grabbed Nega. There was also Henry and that universe's Bing, among others presumably. They all deserved a happy ending and it looks like they're getting it after all these years. I think it was very sweet that they threw Anti a birthday party as an epilogue.

Oh also, seeing the dynamic between Angus, Posi and Nega was really cool. They've obviously grown close to each other in the year that's passed since the events of SeptiScape. The souls admitting they felt returning to Anti was the right thing to do was the perfect kind of gut punch. You know deep down that they're right and Anti does indeed need them but at the same time you're going "Wait no, you can't leave Angus!"

All in all, I think the whole story arc concerning Anti and Angus was really well written. You want to dislike Anti because he's the antagonist to Angus' protagonist, an aggressive one at that. But you can't help siding with both of them.

Either way, I already said it this morning when I'd just finished the game about 15 minutes before but well done. You did yet another great job with this one. SeptiScape is one of my favourite games in general, I can tell I'll be replaying SoulScape several times like I have with the first game and I have no doubt I'll be here in 2-3 years gushing about EndScape just like I am right now.

Once again, thank you for creating these games. Now go grab a slice of cake, watch your favourite movie, put an album you love on blast... whatever it is that you do to treat yourself. You've all earned it.

[writing-the-end]

Chapter 34- Masked Marauders

Previous Chapter

Once again, this was all written during the first week or two of hermitcraft season 7, so none of these mega bases of the jungle hermits have been built, and unfortunately Ren hadn’t moved into the mesa yet. If he had, I’d definitely put him in since i know Ecto loves Ren! 

Speaking of Ecto, have a wee bit of Ecto angst. I feel the need to say, mostly to ease my own anxiety, that in no way to I believe any of this that I write- this is all part of the story and exclusively their minesona. Ecto is an amazing and awesome person that deserves love and good friends, and I hope none of this causes issues. But I also know we all love angst here. 

Ecto belongs to @cooler-cactus-block   (sorry the ‘at’ system won’t show up your current one)

Red belongs to @theguardiansofredland​

This isn’t the first time Ecto has gotten lost on her own. Suddenly losing sight of Scar and the others didn’t bother her. She just kept going in the direction that they were before, following the sun towards the northwest. Just like she would in her desert.

Her home. What was her home. Has the blizzard stopped? How deep is everything she ever loved, everything she ever lived for, buried? How much has survived? The desert had been Ecto’s home her whole life. It was a place for surviving, a land so different from anywhere else. Where no trees grew, where dunes replaced hills and sand replaced dirt. It was a unique place for a unique person. A person that didn’t fit in other places, that people always thought of as strange. 

Through the dense leaves, Ecto hears a noise. It sounds like a zombie, but higher pitched. A baby zombie? Those little things are fast, ankle biters with a vengeance from beyond the grave. Ecto pulls out her sword, sunlight reflecting off the enchanted iron blade in speckles that shafted through the dense canopy. The groaning is getting closer, but it’s not the only noise out there. 

She also hears a soft hush, and a chuckle being swallowed back down. She’s really started to hate this feeling, of being watched all the time. The next grumble of the high pitched zombie noise, Ecto takes off towards it. She’s done sitting and being spied on. “Face me you coward!” 

Ecto bursts through the greenery, wielding her sword to fight off the zombie. Instead, her entire body near escapes the pull of gravity when she’s the one surprised instead. A massive bird, with a yellow feathered face and red plumage jumps back at her. “Pesky bird!” 

Another, much smaller blue parrot echos the larger one, before returning to the zombie noises it’s been mimicking. Once Ecto has regained her sense of sanity, she realizes that she’s not looking at two birds. She’s looking at one bird and a human with a bird mask, blonde hair peeking out from behind the yellow and grey. While the two birds are giggling at their jumpscare, Ecto recognizes that voice. “Grian?” 

Grian pulls up his mask, wiping away the tears at his eyes. He’s embraced the Jungle Bandit lifestyle, using leaves, flowers, and feathers to make a more practical version of his hippie attire. He’s a part of the jungle, swinging from vines and foraging from the land. At least until he gets started on his first megabuild. “Ecto, is that you? What are you guys doin’ back so soon?” 

“I lost Scar.” Ecto pulls herself up from the ground, wincing as her wound stretches against the movement of her body. Blu got her good, but she’s not going to let any of her aches stop her. Scar’s bandages definitely are helping hold her together. What she wouldn’t give for some cactus to chew on though. 

“Ah, yeah this jungle is really confusing. A whole new world is confusing, period.” Grian sets his mask to the side. “So how did everything go once you guys got back to your world? Did you get to that stronghold you were looking for?” 

“Yeah, we got there. But everything went downhill from there.” Ecto groans, thinking off all the horrible things that have happened. This journey should have ended when they reached Avon’s stronghold. Instead, the worst part just began. “Most of us don’t have a home to go back to anymore. We’ve just been...walking.” 

“Wandering.” Grian hums, noting the forlorn note in Ecto’s voice. He doesn’t want to push her for more information. It sounds like it’s painful just to think about. A fresh wound, physically and emotionally. Grian isn’t very good with sad emotions, but there is something he is good at. Getting people to smile, to feel joy. And he remembers Ecto’s spunky attitude from Area 77. “Hey, do you want to help me prank some of the other hermits? I have some plans but I really need a second hand to help me out.” 

A mischievous glimmer sparks in Ecto’s eyes and soul. “You want me to help you get into trouble?” 

“I want to have fun. And there’s no harm in a little bit of trouble if it’s all good natured fun, right?” Grian picks up his mask, and even offers Ecto one as well. Green, like a cactus. 

And the jungle bandit had a partner in crime. Two pesky birds- and Professor Beak- flitted through the jungle, clambering over low trees and high vines. They return to the small pond that Grian and Scar share. Scar isn’t home, which is exactly what the two were hoping for. Larry already had his mustache, but with two cheeky minds put together he soon also grew a pair of arms to twist said stache. They flee as soon as the job is done, and the snail has gone through a sudden evolution to gain hands. 

Throughout the jungle, the two leave odd signs and statues. Roses growing from trees, markers pointing to nowhere, trees left completely bald. At one point, the two run across a strange structure in the woods. Stone and jungle wood ring the cultic center, where two fires burn at a steady, endless pace. “I have no clue what this is, and I’m afraid we may be snooping around something we shouldn’t be.” 

“You people sure like your cult initiations.” Ecto muses, before escaping the strange altar in the middle of the forest. 

With Scar already well pranked, Grian had to turn his attention to one of the many other inhabitants of the forest. The jungle bandit would strike everyone- even those he just learned are his neighbors. The pair manage to find their way to Stress’s base, devilish grins and cocky giggles reaching through the masks as they near. Professor Beak imitates them, laughing as well. 

“Oh, carrots. Don’t mind if I do.” Grian pulls up the crop, ready to be harvested. He chuckles to himself as he plants one back into the warm, moist soil. “Pesky bird. That’s why you always harvest your crop.” 

“Do husks appear in jungles as well?” Ecto questions through a mouthful of cocoa beans. She only ever had these a few times before, the sweet chocolate melting in her mouth. Grian looks over, surprised to see the tan colored zombie floating his way towards the two.

“No...he must’ve wandered into the jungle from the nearby mesa.” Grian starts to get an idea as he watches the hapless creature, so slow in the water.

Ecto perks up. Mesas mean one thing to her- cacti. “There’s a mesa nearby?” 

Ecto’s already wading through the shallow water, despite not knowing where exactly it is. “Whoa, hold up. Let’s put this lost guy to good use. Then we can check out the Mesa.” 

Grian and Ecto manage to wrangle in the lost husk. Ecto has had years of practice toying with the mindless mummies, and kiting this one was no different. Except instead of baiting it into a cactus trap, she brought it into a lead held by Grian. Together, the two drag the husk into the depths of Stress’s base. 

Grian has more of an idea what to do from there, and the husk as well as Ecto just observe him with open mouths and empty eyes. The husk can’t even think, but Ecto’s thinking about the mesa. It’s not a desert, but it’s close enough. She can’t wait to escape this humid, dense forest. She’s used to being hot, but not this sticky kind of hot. 

Grian steps back, hauling the husk into a hole and silencing him. And right above the husk, Ecto places down Stress’s magenta colored bed. “What is the point of this?” 

“You know how hard it is to sleep with monsters around.” Ecto frowns, but Grian just continues. She has no trouble sleeping with monsters, she’s used to them at this point. “It’s simple, but it’ll definitely frustrate Stress- I can practically hear her grumbling about it now.” 

“Can we go to the mesa?” Ecto isn’t really interested in pranking anymore. It was fun, and Grian is fun, but she wants to see the mesa. The closest thing to her home she’ll have seen since the blizzard. 

Grian catches on, realizing that this is more than just an impatient friend. Ecto tries to keep a face of indifference, but every time she turns away, he can see it. Sadness. Loss. A desire to go somewhere she can’t find. When she thinks he’s not looking, he can see her smile disappear, especially from her eyes. She’s mourning something. “Let’s go to the mesa. I think we’ve had our fun here.” 

The bandits flee the scene of their crime, Grian guiding Ecto eastward, to the mesa. But it’s not long until Ecto is stumbling past him. She can smell the arid land from here. It’s earthy and warm, with a crisp scent of sand and dust. It cuts through the rich scent of detritus the jungle traps in among the humidity, calling her. 

Ecto escapes the clutches of the vines and trees, busting out into the sandy mesa next door. She leaps from a tree branch, rolling across the sand as she lands. The grains stick to her clothes and skin, embracing her with their warmth from the unobstructed sun. Ecto digs her fingers into the orange sand, watching the broken rocks fall between her fingers as she holds them up. Sand has never been such a welcome sight. 

She remembers what can only grow from sand, and snaps her head up. Mesas don’t seem to grow cacti as fervently as deserts do, but she can see a few growing on a mound of sand in the distance. 

Grian isn’t sure he’s ever seen someone so happy to see a mesa biome, or even a cactus. He’s grown so tired of all the cactus his farm has been producing, he’s drowning in the spiny plant. Ecto returns to him, bouncing in her boots and holding one out. “It’s been so long since I’ve been able to have them. I forgot how sweet cactus juice is.” 

“You actually eat that stuff?” Grian questions, taking the piece that Ecto is offering him.

“It’s the easiest way to get water in the desert.” Ecto takes a look at the few cacti she was able to acquire. They’re in rough shape, with brown blemishes and weak spines. She’s not sure if they’d even be able to hold her weight at this point. She turns her gaze to the horizon, but she doesn’t see any more cacti. Either they haven’t grown, or they’ve already been taken by other hermits. 

Grian’s quick to notice what Ecto is looking at, looking for. “I have cactus at my hobbit hole. Actually, I have more cactus that I know what to do with. Do you want some of it?” 

The joyful smile all across Ecto’s face is all he needs to see. It warms him to see someone so happy over something so simple. To give joy to a friend, to another person is all Grian wants to do. He tells Ecto to wait, and go jogging back into the jungle. He’s faster at climbing through the jungle than her, and it’ll be a pleasant surprise when he returns with his bounty. At his home, Grian digs through every chest in his cactus farm, pulling the collected material before it can be put into compost. He’s stuffing the succulents into every pocket and pouch he can find in his new hobbit threads, even tossing aside his tools and supplies to make more room. At this point it’s as much about getting rid of all his overflowing cacti as it is making Ecto happy. 

Ecto hears Grian swearing before she sees him. Mostly because she was looking for his blond hair, but all of him was hidden behind an entire armful of cacti. So much cacti, Ecto isn’t sure if she’s seen that much at one moment. His clothes are stretching with the weight of the plant, and each one is precariously stacked on top of the others in his arms. Even Professor Beak is carrying his weight in cacti. “What do you even plan to do with all this? I mean, I’m not complaining. It freed up so much storage for me, but I’m curious.” 

“I’m going to jumpstack!” Ecto cheers, taking as many cacti as she can hold and starting her tower. She didn’t get to do this in the last hermit world, so this feels especially exciting. Building her monolith in a completely different world. Not just another dimension, another world. She’s careful to position her feet under her, in between the spines before hopping. While there is space between her and the cactus, she places another one. She lands perfectly so that the needles just barely scrape her shoes, feet light as a dancer’s. 

As Ecto stacks higher, Grian can only watch as she’s shadowed by the sun, dropping and blinding him until she’s reached beyond the sun’s rays. It’s not until Ecto has run out of cacti that he realizes she has no way to get down. She has no elytra, nothing. 

And yet, she jumps. Ecto has become a pro of surviving falls that would normally kill other humans. She doesn’t need fancy wings or magic.  She sees Grian scrambling across the sand below, but she tucks into a tight ball and rolls across the sand as she hits. It’s jarring, but it doesn’t kill her. Even though it’s still sunset, Ecto swears she can see stars. Apart from that, she’s still gaining control back when she hears Grian. “What was that?!” 

“I needed to get down.” Ecto hums, standing up with a sway and brushing the sand off her scarves. 

“What about using water? Or scaffolding? There are better ways, Ecto!” Grian grabs her by the shoulders, still shocked by such a ridiculous stunt. He hasn’t seen anyone so willing to defy death since Cub during Demise. And even he eventually lost that battle.

“Water is hard to find in the desert. And why build more than necessary? Look, I’m fine, and this is the most direct way.” Ecto’s face pinches up at the suggestion. She shrugs Grian’s grip off of her shoulders, turning around and looking back up at her art. One monolith stands tall above the jungle trees, spines scraping at the untouched sky. Her build may be the tallest yet. 

Grian can only chuckle, shaking his head and shaking away the nerves. “You’re quite the weird person, Ecto.” 

Weird. Ecto knows that she’s different. She thinks different, acts different from the normal. She’s decided that she won’t change. . It’s a flaw she can’t erase. And people abandon her for that. Disregard her, turn on her. But what about Grian? He is strange like me, but his friends still stick around. Why do they all leave me? Why does he stay around even now?