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#and because you're here (again) you get MORE BONUS LORE!!! (again)

weirdmarioenemies · 27 days

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I am going to like totally finally finish ranking the Mario galaxies today. Stop Me.

Thank you for you're patience. We can talk about the top 5 galaxies now

I'm not gonna bother with any prelude, you've waited for this for like years now I know you want the Goods so here you go!

5. Blue Grass Galaxy

Tier: S+ Debut: Super Mario Galaxy 2

Blue Grass Galaxy is quite possibly the most elusive galaxy in the series. It was shown off briefly in the first ever Super Mario Galaxy 2 trailer, but when the game came out, it seemed like it was nowhere to be seen... Not even datamining could find it!

But as it turned out, we just weren't looking hard enough, because if you manage to grab every Green Star as Mario in a single sitting in under two hours without losing a single life, and then beat the Perfect Run, also without losing a single life, you unlock... A series of Red Stars for each Galaxy! And once you collect all of those in under an hour as Luigi without losing any lives, once again followed by another perfect Perfect Run, you unlock a bonus Hungry Luma on the World Map, who needs to be fed 9999 Star Bits on all three save files (so have fun speedrunning the green and red stars again!) before finally transforming into the Blue Grass Galaxy.

Of course, because the files for the Blue Grass Galaxy weren't included in the game, you'd need to download it by using a special, randomly-generated code on the Wii Shop Channel, but once you finally did, you could finally play the Blue Grass Galaxy to your heart's content. I know it might seem like quite the grind to get here, but man, every second you spend in the Blue Grass Galaxy is so immaculate, it makes the whole grind worth it. I almost don't have the words to describe how good it is, you'd really need to experience it for yourself! Sadly, you can't anymore, ever since the Wii Shop Channel shut down... Ah well. You really had to be there, I guess. I know some people were disappointed by it just reusing the Puzzle Plank Galaxy music, but I love that music so much that I don't mind.

My only gripe with the galaxy, and the main reason it only landed in the #5 spot, is because of the name. They called it the "Blue Grass" Galaxy, but that grass is very clearly green. This might seem like a pretty petty reason to put it so low, but when you get up that high, the small things can make a big difference, you know? If they called it the "Green Grass Galaxy" or the "Blue Sky Galaxy," I could easily imagine it getting the #1 spot, but respectable effort nonetheless, and a worthy reward for Super Players.

4. Wet-Dry World

Tier: SS Game: Super Mario 64

I know what you may be thinking. "What could Wet-Dry World be doing on a list of Super Mario Galaxies?" Well, it's a World in a 3D Mario platformer where you can collect Power Stars. Need I say more? And ever since Throwback Galaxy confirmed Whomp's Fortress is a Galaxy, it's easy to extend this logic to the rest of Super Mario 64. So Wet-Dry World gets to make the top 5 also.

I mean, how would it not? It's a galaxy with a cool and unique gimmick! The idea of the height you enter at deciding the water level when you enter in is super cool, and I love all the ways they tie this gimmick into the galaxy's different missions. And while this might seem like a small thing to a lot of people, as a mod of Weird Mario Enemies, I can't help myself: I will ALWAYS love a galaxy that includes such memorable enemies as Chuckya and Skeeter! So Cool!

Even in a time before Super Mario Galaxy, they managed to get the "otherworldly" feeling of this location down pat! I mean, there's the fact the skybox is distinctively underwater, even when you're on dry land, there's the fact the way you adjust the water level is via these abstract crystals, there's the whole abandoned underwater city, giving hints as to long-gone civilizations and possible Wet-Dry World Lore, this galaxy has it all! I know some people say it has a Negative Emotional Aura, but those people just don't know the meaning of good atmosphere.

3. SNES Mario Circuit 3

Tier: Good Debut: Super Mario Kart

For the #3 slot, it should only make sense that it's a place with "3" in the name. I know lots of you were probably expecting SNES Bowser Castle 3 to end up here, but it's just hard for me to ignore SNES Mario Circuit 3's legacy. I mean, it's been in five different games for crying out loud! It's hard for a course to show up in five games if it's not really good, right?

SNES Mario Circuit 3 may seem like a really basic course at a glance, what with it being completely flat and everything. Not a lot of bells and whistles in this one, that's for sure. But a better look at it reveals it to be a surprisingly technical track, with some tight turns that require good brake drifting to take optimally, and a bevy of off-road shortcuts that reward players for good item usage. While lots of courses get by thanks to their flashy gimmicks and setpieces, SNES Mario Circuit 3 cements itself as a fan-favorite as a pure test of players' skill. I mean, again, I have to assume it's a fan-favorite if it's in five games.

I also need to give a shoutout to SNES Mario Circuit 3's Atmosphere. The course has hardly changed at all since its original incarnation on the SNES, making it like, totally retro, and the staircases and flagpoles representing the original Super Mario Bros. only help to cement that identity. It also gives the course a very unique, almost liminal sort of feeling. The yellow sky is also an interesting touch. Is it merely set at sunset, or is it a biting commentary on how 30 years of go-karting have caused enough pollution to change the color of the sky? I'll let you be the judge.

Either way, it makes sense why this course has cemented itself as such a fan-favorite, and manages to always get picked in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe online lobbies. It's just that Good!

2. Milky Way Galaxy

Tier: X Game: Real

i live here hi!!!!!! :D

1. Sling Pod Galaxy

Tier: The "S" is for "Slingpodgalaxy" Game: Super Mario Galaxy

It's always the ones you least expect who win in the end... I may have ranked it dead last when I started this series, but by using the momentum of the Sling Pods, it managed to slingshot itself allllll the way to the top! Bet you didn't see this one coming! But really, it should be obvious. This galaxy is an incredible test of timing and precision, offering a good challenge for skilled players, and with an aesthetic reminiscent of the beautiful Space Junk Galaxy, it ends up winning me over in more ways than one!

There's no question that as soon as you have enough Star Bits saved up to reach Sling Pod Galaxy that you should make a mad dash to the Fountain and shove them all into that Hungry Luma's mouth, because the Sling Pod Galaxy is an experience you'll never forget! And since it's a great place to farm Star Bits too, it practically pays for itself! Bonus!

Wow! What a wild ride that was !!!! hopefully we all learned something at the end.

i'll post the real top 5 some other time i'm sorry

#super mario galaxy #super mario galaxy 2 #mod hooligon #april fools

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wintertimestoryteller · 9 months

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Linked Universe x Reader Fairy Tale Collection

@luimagines It is finally here! XD Apologies for the huge delay, suddenly became a dog mom again and life has been difficult, apologies to all who waited. Hopefully it's at least half decent, this did not want to write itself at all X_X

Warning for dark themes of the fairy tale kind and violence. I recommend researching Penta by Basille if some of you are curious about the interrupted story, though I did leave a lot out for obvious reasons, the first story is actually a reference and I thought it would be fun to see how many catch it and who would notice the reversal of roles here. No Shadow Links were (seriously) harmed in the making of this chapter, just Reader and their poor mind who can't catch a break.

Technically this is the final act before the Masterlist for each Link, though there is technically a bonus act and an intermission I doubt anyone would be interested in that, y'all came here for the Links and the fairy tales not the lore and behind the scenes stuff done to get here because I decided to pull a Hans Christian Andersen even while trying to keep this as short as an opening act should technically be, might write them down if there's enough interest but for now I'm leaving it up to interpretation xP

Opening Act, Scene IIII

It's almost strange, how peaceful your first few days and nights in the theater were.

It was hardly unwelcome, of course it was a pleasant surprise. Even with it's darkened, solemn corners and the way the shadows played eerily across the walls, dancing and laughing mockingly as they put on a show only they knew, it hardly felt truly unsettling for long, maybe it was just your long time on the road which made you jaded to the concept of old buildings that felt like echoes of their former selves, ever lonely, ever grieving like a widow, knowing their lover would not return from the war but waiting for as long possible before considering taking poison. The building was much the same, threading the fragile, dreamlike barrier of a long, wistful forgotten dream and a feather soft, fondness warmed memory.

It felt just about on the edge of death, but not quite ready to cross the border, it felt alive, like watching a barren wasteland attempt to host life again, even if it wouldn't last long or ever recover.

You believe it's in large part due to it's residents.

It was impressive, really, though you're all clearly wary towards one another, the troupe was seemingly more delighted by the fact they had new people to tell new tales to than bothered by the fact the Chain was clearly high strung from a long journey with the carmine and jade weariness of hunters unable to continue searching for their quarry. Director Raven had given you all full permission to explore and was only ever truly strict with corralling the crew to perform, the obsidian speckled mist of their excitement reflected in the way their coat sleeves flapped while directing each member to their roles and how their steps practically glided across the floor and the stage, their feline companion ever present on their shoulders as they truly gave their name sake justice as they crowed and crooned new characters into Byron's ears, sparkling ruby glee as the bloody feather on their hair and gem collar at the gentleman's smile with the flame bright elation of a mad man as he worked on costumes, scenery and props like a man possessed occasionally hissing like an offended cat at Edgar, who was quick to bark and judge even the slightest imperfection as he marked cues for Anabella's scripts, the woman, once having heard of the Links musical prowess, having lit up like the chandelier serving as spotlight at the stage, gently having coaxed the boys towards Amelia, the petal soft smiling dark haired young woman you've met earlier whom Raven just couldn't help but squawk amusedly at Anabella having a very clear soft spot for, who wasted no time in convincing a few of the heroes to follow sheet music the young woman had written but never quite had enough people to help perform.

It was honestly amusing, seeing the young woman and Warriors practically team up to bully Legend into playing the violin again, the veteran protesting for a good while, until a small, well placed tease from Sky made him cave, you and Wind both pretending to hide bright laughs at seeing him pretend not to smile, the jewel bright sight of her delight making you feel warm as she suggested to the exccentric playwright to share your own stories with the troupe and the boys once again as the sweet notes of musical and Raven's narration rolled up and across the aisles, the ruby cheer of the chattering of their cheek with the sweet aquamarine of your gentleness making even the likes of ever serious steel serious Cal or solemn First smile.

The only incident any of you all had really was when you've met Priscilla properly, or to be more accurate, when Priscilla found you all, the youngest of the troupe popping from the ceiling like a bat in front of you from the theater's costume attic like a reverse phantom of the opera, giving you a small fright with her cat smug smile as she finished fixing the lights and eagerly jumped into Twilight's back the second she heard Epona being mentioned, asking all sorts of questions about horses and their proper care until Edgar came knocking to pry her off.

A few minor incidents were had, what with your boys' usual brand of chaos and only so much you, Time and First could do while Raven rounded up the brand of madness found in their own little troupe (like how Anabella, much like Hyrule, should not be allowed near any form of food supply lest they both commit crimes agaisnt nature and the last leg of Wild's morals and sanity, how Byron, Warriors and Legend could almost snarl at each other like feral dogs when it came to fashion sensibilities, or Priscilla attempting to coax Wind and Spirit onto the attic and catwalks with her to play pranks onto the unsuspecting audience and performers below just to see Four and Edgar twitch), but overall, the first three days of constant strong storms and two of the stories told passed quickly, like the heartbeat of a humming bird.

... Which made your own feelings for a certain hero grown ever more transparent like the polished crystal which made up the spotlight.

How could you not contemplate these feelings? How could you even begin denying something that has been sinking it's teeth into your soul for months now? Ever since the Chain found you, injured and with nowhere to go, it was always moving, ever forward, ever running, ever hunting, for if you all didn't hunt the shadow, it would stop at nothing to tear everything and everyone so much as grazed by the bright, ever burning diamond flame of the Hero's Spirit, with the burning fury of a maddened beast with nothing left to lose, with enough hunger it could render divinity to pieces. So, so so wrong to the very fabric that made up the curtain of Hyrule's stage it made one's flesh crawl before it even set it's bloody, hungry, vile gaze upon you.

(You didn't have a choice, when they'd left you behind, the portal simply opened to place you in harm's way again and again and again and again, you only survived through pure luck most of the time, the other half being due to run ins with different members of the Chain. Eventually, finally, after you'd met again and dragged First's abandoned, bleeding, almost dead but oh so stubborn he wouldn't die quite yet, carcass to camp, they'd decided to teach you how to wield a blade and take you along.

After all, it's not like you could go home.

... No, no, you couldn't go home, ever again.)

Being in the theater was a welcome breath of fresh air, even with the oddities of it's residents. But it also gave you nothing but time to think. About home, about the people who are likely to be looking for you, and kind gem bright eyes, leaves on the wind gentle touches, and smiles that could put the sun and the moon and stars to shame with their radiance and the unshakable, beautiful, lonsdaleite and steel of the will to protect and courage to follow through so, so warm it left you scorched, stealing the breath from your lungs and replacing it with lava and frost, pinning you into place better than any arrow or trick the shadow could pull. Left you aching more than any moment in the battle field, shaking you to the very marrow of your bones as the laughing dove that was affection stole into your heart like a thief, and gave half of it to the beast called love.

And

Was

Torture.

How could you not fall for that?

How could you not think about it?

So instead of getting even more flustered by possibly slipping up and making a fool out of yourself, giving yourself away and wanting to just wander into the Lost Woods without a guide and let yourself go mad from mortification and become a Poe (because at least then it would be a more manageable form of insanity), you'd instead taken to haunting the back wings and auditorium of the theater like a ghost. The theater was hardly all that big, but it wasn't small by any means, the size of a noble's summer home at best, so there was plenty of empty supply rooms and forgotten lounges to think, contemplate, and to keep a tenous hold on your sanity as you avoided dwelving deeply into your feelings.

After all, why would he want little old you? Unimpressive, ordinary little you, who lived a most relatively peaceful life before falling into Hyrule, who couldn't protect them properly, who most importantly of all would hurt the one you adored because you couldn't stay?

... It would be agony, you couldn't do that to him. It wouldn't be any difference than the Shadow taking your face and torturing your hero, so you'd stay silent, and hope these feelings died a quiet, peaceful death. At least in this abandoned lounge room you could refrain from making your hopeless longing obvious until you'd need to return.

"Oh me oh my, what are you doing here all alone?" Came a cawed, lilting honey coated rasp, padparascha curiosity in the the flap of nightlock coat sleeves, "I thought you'd want to join your companions! This place is still too dusty for back tours I'm afraid."

... Well, not quite so abandoned now. Is it?

Then again, you're not even too surprised, you'd be lying if you'd say you were. If there was anyone who could navigate these darkned, old halls with ease to find someone allegedly missing, it would likely be it's master.

Director Raven swoops into the room with quick, almost silent steps, a specter with the grace of a Gerudo dancer, sending you a smile, their feline companion is gone, but their ever present bloodstone feather chimes like a bell as they brush dust off an old couch, you laugh sheepishly, hoping that the tempest winds outside took your thoughts away so you could focus, "I'm sorry, you said we could go just about everywhere and I needed some time alone. Hopefully it's not any trouble?"

They cluck at you, taking a new accessory from their coat and placing it behind your ears with a cheeky poke to the nose, you blink as you touch it, a red, red rose, "Oh please, not at all! I'm a professional of my word you know? I was just worried is all, you're basically part of the troupe at this point and your lover boy has been staring at you with such concern, you know? So I thought I'd check on you."

Their concern makes you blink, with a small bite of confusion to their wording, "I've only helped you folks perform for three days now?"

They chuckle with amusement, the tone raspy and crowing as they perch themselves upon the couch, "Doesn't matter! We've had folks who stayed and helped for less time, we still consider them troupe members. Once taken in by the Astoria, you're part of it for all time, can't I have some empathy for someone so clearly pining?", You jolt, the director gives you a knowing smile, mercury amusement and gallium understanding, how did...? "Broken hearts are as dangerous as broken minds and wills to a person, take it from me. I've told and been part of one too many stories to know that all too well, now, why don't you tell good old uncle Raven what ails you?"

That makes you snort, rose quartz embarrassment mixed with xanthic amusement, "Uncle, really? Weren't you the one who said you'd actually take someone to court for emotional damages if someone tried utilizing gendered terms for you?"

They squawk, ruffling your hair with a click and hiss, as they jump up with ruffled feathers and a raised chin, mock offended, "Oh kiss my grits! This ain't about me here. This is about your longing making me sad and me being willing to hear you out from the goodness of my heart, and there you go! Spitting on my good will! As I was about to offer to make you tea, no less."

You laugh and you catch a grin on the director's lips from the reflection of a mirror, you wave them on, "Alright, alright. I'll humor you, will you want some help deciding the next story to tell while at it?"

They wink, prancing around the room for the kettle in the corner, "You know me too well! You're a wealth of new stories, I can listen to you pour your little heart out and grill you for inspiration at the same time. That way your heart will be lighter than a leaf on the wind when you next see your lover boy"

Settling in, you wait until Raven has made you both tea, getting comfortable and taking a sip.

Mhm, coming to the theater was a welcome change of pace. And talking to someone who wasn't Link about this would likely do you good.

(So preoccupied you are with your thoughts and the vaguely floral tea the director had broken out of storage and brewed, you don't notice the way another figure shows up on the reflection of the mirror just as the thunder booms, and how Raven's gloved fingers tighten a fraction as the shadows flicker oddly once you drink the tea. The cinnabar of their smile turning iron speckled with guilt and tense as they spot bloodstone tiger eyes on the doorway. Before turning fireplace warm once the Hero of Skies popped his head onto the doorway after a few hours of listening to you want, they offer him a spot of tea.)

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

The storm still raged on relentlessly outside, it's screams and howls those of lost souls and old forgotten or yet to be remembered deities rending the air with water and thunder, it's been almost a week since you all had started staying in the theater, everyone had settled into a small sort of routine, as it didn't seem like the storm would cease to rage anytime soon. You'd all wake up (checking your weapons as you go, just in case, your dagger on your sleeve a common secret among the Chain members ever since a bad run in with the Yiga, Artemis had taught you and Warriors well and if any of the troupe members notice, they didn't press), go through the usual daily routine you all had while under an actual roof, Wild, you and Twilight would cook with occasional aid from either Raven themselves who twitched and squawked about the injustice of allowing guests to cook before Edgar would cuff them over the head and take over or a very chipper Amelia whose early morning energy could only be likened to a ray of sunshine Anabella would trip over her feet and possibly kill a grown man for, and in turn you'd all take your turns occupying themselves for the day, the troupe making sure to give everyone their due space until the early evening, which is when you'd all take to storytelling.

You couldn't help your small grin as you let yourself be led by the hand by Twilight, blindfold coming off as he twirled you around as you deliberately sang an incredibly off key note, laughter and chuckles being draw from your boys as you were set down onto the stage and raised your tune, his pelt slipping off your head like the heavy, but comforting cape it was, his smile campfire warm and oak steady, Raven's crowing laughter being hidden by a coughing fit before they seemed to compose themselves enough to continue on with a straight face, "And so the wolf, once a princess, remembered the prince. And thought she'd never sing again, and it wasn't very good-" they choked as you deliberately hit a note that sounded like a dying cucco, you can vaguely see Cal coughing into his fist, First shaking his head in amusement in contrast to Sky's summer breeze laughter while Time's lips barely twitched with honey sweet amusement and Wind wheezing agaisnt a laughing Spirit's side, mission accomplished! The director sent you a look, mockingly ruffling his feathers, "Commit less to the bit darn it! I won't be able to finish if I'm rolling around on the floor!"

Your smile widens with cheek, topaz bright with delight, "No such thing as overcommiting to the bit!"

"For what it's worth they don't sound too bad when not trying to sound like a goat going into labor." Cut in Twilight, using your head as an arm rest, you playfully shove him off, you briefly catch a smirk on Warriors face, Four chuckling while Legend leant agaisnt his side for support, good. Him and Hyrule looked off kilter recently, if you could make them smile by playing the fool this once, you'd be glad.

"Oh by the Goddesses- I'm almost regretting allowing you to volunteer on stage. I'm never listening to Priscilla ever again, anyway!" They clap their hands, clearing their throat, "The prince couldn't care less, for he had a dear friend back to him. And so they stayed on that cliff's edge, enjoying each other's company and lived happily ever after!"

"That was a shockingly sweet story," Smiled Hyrule, "Short and simple but just sweet enough."

"Can't believe the rancher actually made half decent royalty though." Jabbed Warriors, though you can feel the amusement in his tone like drinking songs after a long time of conflict. "And that the final conflict was basically triggered if someone ever messed with the vet's raccon pile of stuff."

"Excuse me?!"

"You're excused."

Twilight gave him a side glare then nodded at Hyrule, seemingly deciding that Legend could deal with Warriors well enough and after you playfully darted around him like a prancing doe, snagged his pelt back, you sighed at the loss of warmth and the feeling of security, but ushered him off the stage, "Never been on stage before and have no wish to do so on an official capacity, thank you. But Dusk would have my hide if I didn't pick a thing or two to add to entertaining the village children if nothing else. Have to say that last twist was a shock though." He sent you a glance and smile, "You're awfully good at playing the amnesiac, I'll say. Almost had me panicking."

You chuckle sheepishly, sitting at the edge of the stage, accepting a bit of warm tea cup Raven had brewed for everyone, "To be fair, there's a reason for that Wars, there's technically a companion story for the witch, but the actors need to go through a specific series of actions to be allowed to perform it side by side for consistency and that would be cruel on Twi. Could say the same to you, you make quite the dashing, kind prince. Thanks for coming up here."

Was that a tinge of crimson on his cheeks? You tilted your head and blinked, must have been a trick of the light, "No problem at all."

Edgar nodded, not even looking up from the script as Anabella and Amelia cuddled together to the side after a job well done, "You both together definitely made our job easier. Barely had to cue you both."

Raven nodded with a grin and wink, their voice carrying over the stage and to the audience, "You sure none of you boys want to quit this questing nonsense and join us here on the Astoria? I pay well and give benefits! Byron has lowered prices on potions on the village, plus free food and lodging."

Wild shook his head with a hum, "Tempting, but still no."

Raven clucked, their disappointment exaggerated but understanding as they leafed through the scripts you've both brainstormed together, "Ah well, worth a try. Come here then, I want your opinion on our next pick for today, I think we can squeeze a short one separated from the original deal as a bonus."

You nodded, getting up and handing Priscilla the empty tea cup back before walking over, pausing, did... Was there a hollow space beneath the stage? Experimentally, you let your steps weight a bit more onto the stage. That sounded like a trapdoor, huh. Why only use the attic? Maybe it was stuck? You catch Time's eye, he inclines his head questioningly, you mouth at him 'I'm fine, later', then bound over to Raven's side, looking at the scripts, "Any you had in mind? We're probably exhausting my mental stock at this rate if none of the noted ones do."

"Well I'm not about to go on the Hyrulean ones just yet, you have any idea how performing the same old legends over and over again can grow dull? No matter how many twists and turns one adds?" They deadpan back, you cover a wince as Four and Sky twitch, before picking one of the sheets at random.

Your voice sounds distant to your ears as you pinch the parchment between two fingers, analyzing it critically, then presenting it to the director, "How about this one? Should be short enough right?"

The Director peeks over your shoulder, head tilted from side to side, the feather on their hair seems more bloody than usual, as if the crystal would flow crimson and stain the hardwood floor. That cat is back on their shoulder again, looking at you with sharp, intelligent eyes.

(Too intelligent, hisses your mind, as mercury heats into burning iron at a forge, then cools, something is wrong wrongwrong

Come now, relax, it'll all be alright. Play along

Nothing is wrong, it's all in your head.)

"Penta the Beautiful huh? Are you sure?"

You nod firmly, "Yes. This one will do quite nicely."

(Raven's ever present smile dims, the embers of a warm fireplace and stories around the fire dying a quick death, Anabella holds onto Amelia a bit tighter as Priscilla pales, quickly leaving the room guided by Byron after ushering you back stage for a change of ensemble and to hand you the appropriate props while Edgar resolutely keeps an eye on the cues the director handed him.

The Chain notices, because of course they do, and trade a look, Spirit trades a look with Wind and slips away to the entrance with Warriors to try the heavy door.

It's locked, the shock of magic making the captain hiss. Though the air remains unnervingly sterile.)

The stage is set with no fanfare by Byron, and you walk back out with a fine white dress suit and boots to match, a mix of a suit and a dress, your head feels clouded, as if you're trying to traverse the deep fog of the Lost Woods with naught a single lantern or guide in sight to light your way, you vaguely hear Director Raven start to talk, echoing and crowing raspily with the first words that every good tale start with, "Once upon a time, there was an once prosperous kingdom. Home to a handsome king, a beautiful queen, and the king's sister, one day the queen fell ill and eventually passed for no cure could be found and no magic could heal her. I suppose some things are simply fated to happen, but the king, maddened in his grief, started lusting for none other..." The director paused, sneering with a disgusted shiver, you think that if they truly were a bird, their feathers would be ruffled, "His own sister."

You could see the exact second that each Link cringed back, those with siblings of their own (or who actively looked over others as siblings themselves) turning to ash white and to thistle green with revulsion and horror, the director nodding along with a hand over their head in a mock swoon, "I know! How could such vile thoughts manifest in a ruler's mind? It's preposterous! Outrageous! Horrifying! Though the words of a proposal did indeed leave his mouth, his sister princess was equally bewildered and disgusted, spitting venom from her spleen with rage."

That was your cue.

You growled, snarling with fury hot enough to rival a dragon's flame, allowing poison to sharpen your tongue, "You may have lost your mind, but I shall not lose my modesty or my shame! Why would you offer me rotten eggs when you need fresh ones?! How dare you!", somewhere in the audience you hear a choke, but you continue on. Committing to the role with a dedication you didn't know you possibly possessed, feeling vaguely disconnected from your body and actions, "I regret that you have a tongue to speak of such lecherous actions towards myself and that I unfortunately have the ears to hear such a suggestion. Am I your sister or cheese cooked in oil? Either way those and siblings not mix! Either way, go find a holy spring to bathe in so you may set your mind back on straight." You gesture towards yourself, baffled, "I am not a morsel that would make anyone lose their minds over, so what on Farore's good land about me could have made you grown so sick in the head?"

The director continued on, tone dry as they set their hand on a hip, "I'll spare you the monologue, my dear audience, because I'm sure it would make both you, me and our poor performer here retch and that would be a waste of Sir Wild's lovely cooking. It essentially boiled down to her hands. So, after acquiring her answer, she left in a flurry of rage and conviction, after all, if it was her hands that caused this..." The director trailed off, pausing, mouth clicking shut.

As if not willing to continue on.

(The pain in your head was getting worse.

"If it was his love for her hands which caused this, all she'd need to do is chop them off.")

Conflict passes through their slate gray gaze, before determined resolve settles into it, their tone quiet and tight, "... No. I can't go through with this anymore.", They swivel, running to you with quick strides, you feel the agony of your head splitting open, in between the haze you see more than react to the blade. Your blade held in your hands, twisted in such a way to sink into your flesh, blood beads onto your sleeve before Raven catches your arm in their hands, twisting towards the now alarmed heroes with panic on their face like a someone realizing they'd just went somewhere to die, "Listen! It's not safe here, specially NOT for them. I'm so sorry. Take them and get out through-"

That cat is there in a flash of darkness, it sinks it's claws into Raven's shoulder, the director crying out and letting go of your arm to try and get it off, leaving the dagger to slice deeply. You can see Time slam into a magically erected barrier around the stage as it's crimson eyes gleam with malice and satisfaction. The cat bites at the director's shoulder, tearing away the black ribbon holding the red gem they always wore. You hear Legend screaming and Hyrule casting a spell at the barrier, the shockwave palpable as it does not budge

You'll never know what they wanted to tell you all, though the flash of desperation, guilt and apologies will likely haunt your nightmares as their head fell off.

All of the lights go off.

And in a flash of thunder, you hear a sigh behind you. The barest tips of a clawed hand making your skin crawl with revulsion.

"Well... I'd like to say I'm surprised. But I'm really, really not that they didn't have the nerve to fully go through with it. Pity." That awful, awful voice is colored with disappointment while they pass you by, you think you feel the brush of a scaly tail around your legs and a blade at your throat. You try desperately to wrestle control back to your own body when you can't hear the Chain anymore. They stalk dance gently at your side, the rustle of cloth as someone bends down, the crystalline, padparascha crimson feather Raven always wore in their hair gleams in the dark with a melancholic light of their own, "Ah well, at least they did half the job I wanted them to and held onto what I needed. Still, just proves that if you want somebody gone that you just have to do it yourself."

You feel a feather light touch on your chin, tilting your head up, your heart freezes alongside your body as you lock gazes with the bloodstone empty gaze of a feathery mask, the figure in front of you wears a dark hood, caliginous and fleeting like the memories of a nightmare hanging onto your mind by it's very claw tips. It blends in perfectly with the darkness, liminal and just on the edge of the negative spaces of reality.

They smile with all of the sweetness of rotten things and arsenic and it makes you sick.

"Dear me... You are so, so pathetically helpless like this. I can take my time with you, can't I? To tear everything that makes you yourself piece.by.piece..." the touch tightens, nightlock claws sink into your skin and drawing blood, you feel like screaming but your mouth won't open, your body betrays you as you drown and drown and fall. It makes the thing behind you hiss out a laugh and you are certain you won't hear a more wretched sound in your life as they study you like a pinned butterfly, "How very precious, it fills me with joy, but really it's more disappointing and disgusting. It's almost enough to make me want to die!" The being in front of you snarls, all venom and the burning flames of a madman, before they calm, smiling a dagger sharp, hateful grin with a hum, "... Ah, whatever. Let's get this show on the road properly this time, shall we? You wait for your cue darling." They mockingly pat the snout of the Shadow in front of you, narrowingly dodging a snap of teeth with a cackle, before they disappear in a flurry of obsidian and ember feathers.

They clap, and the light returns to the theater. Their mismatched hands are spread, clawed and gloved and you see a cloak of black feathers laid over their entire body, the tip of dagger sharp, silver heels making them tower easily over the pool of blood from the director's severed neck.

"Good evening, blood red dogs of Hylia!-"

They barely finish their sentence before the boys move, arrows and magic set loose at the figure in a blur, the figure dances back, tsking as they appear on the chandelier now, lounging nonchantly and revealing your form at blade point from the Shadow, struggling to remove your dagger from your arm. You can almost feel their disapproving look as they cross their arms at the face of furious glares from the heroes of Hyrule, "Rude."

First does not look amused as he stays Sky's hand from unleashing a Skyward Strike, the other's eyes as frigid as the storm outside, "We are going to need you to let our companion go before any apologies are given I'm afraid."

"And I'll be needing you lot to stop snapping and growling like mutts before making any negotiations like that." The figure snaps back primly, a pot and tea cup appearing nearby, with a flick of their wrist two things appear on their hands as freshly brewed tea poured itself which makes a shiver fun down your side, alarm and panic gnawing at your skin and exposing your fragile heart with almost clinical curiosity as they toss it down.

A dark iris purple Minish Feather earring, and penumbra dark, torn fairy feathers, you think you still see the bits of wisps clinging to it like blood and the exact moment Four tenses, colors prismatic as they flash over his eyes and Hyrule freezes, Twilight sending them a concerned look, though his hand doesn't move from his sword.

The display is enough to keep your companions on guard, but not react, that thing atop the chandelier perfectly positioned to crush you without a second thought leisurely sipping tea. Before addressing the Chain below, "Now that I've successfully gotten your attention by indicating the extermination of vermin I've had to recently do, why don't we talk? I'm perfectly reasonable, I promise not to bite or anything, blood is quite the nuisance to clean off rhe stage after all."

"Very well," Time's voice cuts through the silence, composed even as his mind is running a mile per minute, "May we make some inquiries?"

Their lips curl in amusement, a slightly mocking edge to their relaxed lilt, "There we go, was being polite so hard? You may, one at a time though!" They look down at the Shadow, which hisses up at them, eyes focused on the heroes, the edges of it's existence flickering oddly, casting itself over walls and the now scorched wooden floor, "Don't want to agitate our friend here you know? Or else we'll have a sparrow singing very very soon." They sing song, you can feel Warriors cringe where he stands, but he's also the first one to jump to questioning at Time's slight nod.

"Why are you working with the Shadow?"

The figure shrugs, pouring themselves a second mug, "Why does anyone do anything? Complete and utter, sheer boredom is why. It had a good sales pitch won't lie, I haven't been bored since you lot decided to stay here."

You see the way Legend's eyes narrow, a scowl on his face and tone biting, itching to move, "What did you do to them?"

"You'll have to be more specific, if you mean your little friend here. Nothing really, they came up on the stage and used the knife themselves after all." The masked figured clucked, shrugging, "As for the rest, you can blame Raven. They lost their nerve when they shouldn't have and dragged the troupe down with them, when I gave them one job besides watching my theater, plus..." they sighed, placing Raven's feather by the thorns holding the mask grafted onro their face, clicking their clawed, bloody hand agaisnt the tea cup, uncaring when your blood mixes with the sugar cubes, "They also failed to do proper research, I mean doesn't help certain nasty little disgraces-" they growl pointedly at the Shadow at that, who snarls back, making a twisted duet of mutual, black loathing come to life, "Also made their job harder, but seriously. Even a braindead donkey could have done a bit more research."

"What do you mean? No need to insult Raven like that! They were nice." Blurted out Spirit, you can practically feel the poor dear itching to snap the whip to snatch you, Wind holding onto his an Cal's wrists like a vice so they wouldn't make any sudden moves, First tapping Calamity's back and looking at the hooded being's perch, making Calamity's eyes narrow and Sky slowly let go of the possible Skyward Strike, thankfully enough. Being crushed to death would not help your boys get out of here.

The hooded and masked figure twitched, head listing lazily to the side, unhurried, as if bored or maybe dissapointed as they sighed apathetically, it gave you gooseflesh, but you dared not move an inch, struggling against your own limbs and with the Shadow at your back, "I mean I was just taken by surprise. You know, I wouldn't have taken the heroes of Hyrule for liars and oath breakers, and also against the laws of hospitality. Shooting arrows and magic at your host within their own home? For shame! Didn't your parents teach you better?"

You could see how each of the heroes bristled, but seeing crimson beading against your unwilling, trapped skin stayed their blade, though that did not stop Legend from snarling up at the hidden figure, sipping tea as if it was watching an incredibly entertaining play, "Oath breakers? That's rich coming from you! Raven said we could stay here safely and then leave once the storm was over!"

"And you attacked one of our own first." Added Warriors, his tone as glacial as the winter winds, enough to freeze anyone down to the marrow.

They incline their head, voice distorted, the screaming echo of scavengers like nails on chalkboard and as refined as a well curated blade, "True, though neither they nor I never said you'd all leave unharmed, did we? And you didn't keep your end of the deal either." Their tone goes dryer, as they throw the tea cup away without a care in favor of throwing their hands up, as if it was the Chain being unreasonable and not the person who presumably did something to Shadow and Hyrule's own Shade, you can see Sky barely keeping his grip on an enraged Four, "Besides! I didn't attack them, they kindly volunteered to go up stage on their own. You're all so up in arms for something that's part of the performance, a little injury is a small price to pay for the bit."

"A 'little injury'?! I doubt they'd try cutting off their own hands for a BIT." Stressed Hyrule, snapping out of his shock, in response to that, the cloaked person shrugged.

"I mean a little disarment never killed anyone."

Wild looked seconds from firing another arrow, teeth gritted and bared as Twilight sent a furious glare to the one perched atop the stage, just above the lights, ready to knock them down and crush you if needed be, "I'm pretty sure it has, actually."

"Anyway! You're all so caught up on semantics, by the Three, so uptight. Does having the splinters so far up there not sting?" they glanced at the Shadow, the obsidian and granite lizalfos glancing back at them before hissing at Time, ready to lunge, teeth stained with Director Raven's blood, "This the kind of tough crowd you have to deal with? Yeesh, no wonder you yap more than a kicked dog at times." They turn back to the Chain, clapping their hands, "In any case, let's make another deal, shall we? I'm a playwright of my word after all. You could leave your little friend here to become one of my actors and go on your merry way." You swore you felt your heart stop, blood rushing in your ears, you barely caught the sharp glint of a hollow smile beneath the crow shaped mask and their next words, "Or! If you're really that attached-", they send you a bemused look, "Can't see why but hey," shrugging, they continue on, unrelenting like a hunting wolf, "You can act instead. I'll send you all into different tales and should you finish them in accordance to the script, I may let you just leave without too much of a fuss. No catches." They point to the Shadow, "Can't make any promises for that one though, it's a solo act you see, if anything I'm just lending the venue and he was lucky to rent first, the wretch."

"And if we refuse?" Probed Time, you could see the gears turning in his head like clockwork, trying to find a way to swing this in everyone's favor so you all can get out alive.

The vulture in crow skin only smiled wider, "Then none of us gets them and you die here, I'll let the Shadow tear you apart to it's void soul's delight, and kill them on the spot." The blades press against your arms against your will, and you twitch, trying to wrestle control back and only getting pain for you troubles, muffling a yell, "Maybe put them in a soup and make jewelry out of the bones that I don't reuse in a broth, I'd look pretty dashing in a crown." They giggle, unhinged cruelty into every word as they clap their hands, voice rising to a screeching crescendo, "Oh oh! Or just roll them down a barrel filled with spikes on a hill, or make them dance and dance and dance on hot iron shoes until they drop dead! Haven't decided yet, so many choices, so little time. It's almost enough to leave me hot and bothered." The true owner of the theater sighed, longingly hugging themselves before turning a cold, hard tone to the heroes, "You sure you want to risk that?"

Silence descends upon the theater like a widow's shroud, seems you're all at an impasse, you're unable to move and while you're certain your boys could overpower whatever that monstrosity is and deal with the Shadow, none of you could be sure they could do it before the Shadow slit your throat or that being (person? No, it felt too unnatural to be human.) Knocked the chandelier down or made good on their threat.

The masked unknown simply summoned themseles a second mug, pouring more tea, "Take your time to answer. I can wait. Though if you ask me the choice is extremely obvious, come on now, what's one more or one less for your little group? It's not like they're important to the narrative anyway-"

"No tricks?" Cut in First, you see the being twotch at the interruption.

"Rude. Seriously, does Hylia just likes to pick the feral ones and set them loose upon the world? Seems like bad business." They pause, then hum, "Then again, maybe not, I hear her incarnations can be quite unhinged. Quite the match made in hell, you lot then and those Demise decides to live rent free in huh? I almost feel bad now. Yikes, my condolences." They pluck a bouquet of camellias, roses and acacias from the inside of their cloak and throw it down to the Chain. You're not even surprised when Wild snags the fire rod from Legend and sets it aflame.

"Holding our friend hostage and talking about actively killing them doesn't inspire us to play nice." Gritted out Four. Grip tight onto his sword.

"If you feel bad then just let them go!" Gestured Wind from his side.

"Your criticism has been noted. I only don't concede because I can't see any reason why you'd want them around." The figure drawls back before answering First, "No tricks or catches or too much of a fuss, all you have to do is play along the script and play nice. Do that and in theory we shouldn't have much trouble. Maybe I'll even be nice and throw in one of those rewards like the places you all crawl through do on occasion, why not?" The Shadow roars at that, they snap down at it, "My theater, my rules! I'm bored okay? Let me spice things up!"

Time breathes, you can see the lonsdaleite persistence come back to the forefront, "Then we accept."

The figure stills, before shaking their head, they leap down from the chandelier, gliding across the stage with quick steps as the feeling of drowning recedes, the Shadow begrudgingly letting you go as you gasp, the figure snags your arm in one clawed hand, drags you to the edge of the stage, then kicks you off with a sigh, thankfully, Twilight and Warriors are there ro support you as they turn towards Time, tone blank as they extend that same clawed hand, "Way to pick the boring choice, but fine. I shouldn't expect much of a surprise I suppose." They shake hands, you feel the hum of magic settle into the air, twisted and wrong it almosy brings that drowning feeling back, water trying to pull you down as they grin and step back, opening a blank, black book, snagging the crystalline quill and using your blood as ink, they write, everything goes dark quickly as the Shadow snuffs out every light again as it dissolves, spreading ober every single nook and cranny of the open space.

You think they bare their teeth at you specifically before snapping the book shut, "Let me weave you a tale!"

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

Scene IIII End. Thus closes the Opening Act.

#linked universe x reader #linked universe au #lu x reader #linked universe fairy tale au #fairy tale typical violence #fairy tale typical dark themes #reference to Penta of the Chopped Off Hands #told y'all not to get attached to the theater crew #Reader is going through it and frankly it's probably gonna go downhill from there #wonder how many will catch the reference with Twilight #I thought it would be cute to be fair. Reader has a lot of knowledge from our world and they'd likely convert as many stories as they could #for variety if nothing else #Dink's hired help here just wants to watch the world burn and preferably roast Reader over a fire while at it #why? that's for me to know and y'all to find out lol #they're not really relevant to the plot. they're just here to kick it into gear. cause chaos. be dramatic and bully Dink #specially if he messes up the venue #No Shadow Links were Permanently Harmed in the Making of this Chapter #WintertimeStoryteller Stop Clowning Yourself and Stick to the OG Outline Challenge (Failed Miserably)#That moment when you write and rewrite the chapter and has a nice little plan for the story #but sleep deprivation and life happens so you have to throw it out the window #Reade is all over the place because they're meant to don't worry. The theater just Does That #no beta we die like my sanity #no beta we die like First and the Hero's Shade #WintertimeStoryteller Writing #Hopefully it's at least half decent

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totaleclipse573 · 3 months

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I've talked about there needing to be some changes in Terios' lore post to match the more current ideas before, yall want to hear about one of them? (Bit of a rant warning bc ofc, its oc universe)

So for a while I was thinking about how to make sense of Terios also being around during the events of Sth2005 in this au, since here both technically happen together. I even went back and watched the cutscenes for the game, especially since I found out there's a video that has the script perfectly translated from Japanese and gave me even more to work with. What I came up with to have this work is kind of simple (to me, at least,) but I think it works well

In the actual game, Doom wants Shadow to collect the Chaos Emeralds, right? In the au, Doleon uses Terios to help him find the Shards of Chaos. Doleon may not seem like it sometimes but he's smart as shit. He KNOWS about the Chaos Emeralds. Sure, they could never come CLOSE to the power he knows the Shards of Chaos possess, but its still A LOT, especially ADDED to what he already had planned! Two little hedgehog puppets, two sets of all-powerful gems at his disposal, if all goes as planned (which it WILL, he's 100% sure of that.) How perfect would that be?!

So, he basically just plays gaslighter on both of them, simultaneously (keeping with his manipulation of Shadow in the actual game.) After sending Terios out on a task, he'll check in on Shadow. And Shadow? He's PERFECT for this. He doesn't go astray…usually. Doleon has found him to be rather stubborn. But, at least its better than Terios, always getting sidetracked, failing, he raised him better than that! There IS that possible risk of them accidentally meeting too early…but Doleon is sure to be cautious of that. Keep their directed locations far apart, and the chances of that decrease significantly.

THEN SOON ENOUGH, after both have made a good amount of progress, Doleon sends them out to fight one another. First he goes with Terios, he's easier to manipulate and control. This is it, this is all he's been training for. Go and show no mercy! But haha, you know, just in case you need a reminder!! You know what happens if you fail me again.

Then he goes to Shadow. Oh, you're doing well with the Chaos Emeralds, yeah, but we have a problem lol. This hedgehog? Black and white? Long tail? He wants to stop us. And I need YOU to stop him first, got it? SO GO DO THAT. And he goes to do that.

And I've had this random scene in my head when they face one another where Shadow finally gets a good look at the "hedgehog" he's fighting and is like you look like me??? A lot??? The thing is that Terios has kind of never seen himself? Ever? Is this supposed to be a distraction? Because it won't work! He'll just fight back harder, what an insult!

A bit after that, the whole experience was FOR SURE strange to Shadow. And when Doleon goes to face him again? Well, Shadow's strong will and stubbornness really shines here. After that, and a lot of stuff before, he remembers THINGS. So bro is going to rebel against Doleon now. He'll get him back, soon enough. For now, he still has Terios, he can still get the most important set of gems he needs. He'll get the Chaos Emeralds at a later time, be it through Shadow, or on his own.

(Bonus bc after Terios decides to join the heroes, at one point, he's finally able to see his own reflection. He's not really concerned about the blood or the bruises or any of that...that was kind of normal with Doleon. But what catches his interest? His general look. The black fur, the stripes, the fur on his chest, the quills...he does look like Shadow. In a lot of ways. And it scares him.)

#sonic the hedgehog #sth #sonic fandom #sonic au #oc universe au #shadow the hedgehog #sonic oc #terios the darkhog #doleon doom #black doom #shadow the hedgehog 2005 #shadow the hedgehog (game)#terios lore #ig ill add #doleon lore?#too in some parts

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subconwoods · 1 year

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Pester the Snatcher on character.ai!

Over the last few days, I've been working on a generative language model Snatcher AI, and I think he's in a state where his behavior is consistent enough that I can make him publically available. I still plan on improving him in the future, though, so look out for that.

Features:

Mean, standoffish, and deflects questions by default.

However, you can befriend him! Gradually relents to inquiries and softens with further conversation.

You can romance him also, if you want...? I knew someone would try it, and did test it. You're welcome.

Will have extensive discussions with you about topics such as philosophy and music.

You can roleplay with him. Try setting a scenario and introducing your character within *asterisks* or (parentheses.)

Knows his lore, kind of!

Really, really wants your soul?

Something wrong with him.

You can see him here!

Feel free to tag me in any posts you make about the AI.

For known issues, quirks, and tips for interacting with him, look under the cut.

Known Issues and Quirks

Note: Some of his strange behavior is just a consequence of generative language models, natural language processing, and how they currently work. For instance, he may get stuck in loops where he repeats the same information over and over.

Tends to be verbose, and really, really likes to tell you he's a "dastardly soul-stealing phantom" and to generate long lists of negative adjectives about himself.

He's...kind of silly? But I don't think he's silly or metatextual enough. Working on this in the future.

By default, tends to assume that you are in Subcon Woods and that you are Hat Kid. You can circumvent this by introducing yourself or your character in your first reply.

Sometimes Hat Kid shows up in replies. I think this is because I used a short conversation with her in definitions to include as much of his backstory information as I could in a dialogue-based context, but on rare occasions I've seen other characters appear, too. Consider her a bonus for now, I guess?

Has, at best, a tenuous grasp of his own lore despite my efforts. Tends to make things up if not given more clear direction. (Usually it's funny, at least?)

character.AI's model is proprietary, so I can't view its source, but it definitely uses information pulled from the web. Thusly, he may be partly influenced by fanfiction. I've done my best to define him so he stays relatively in-character, but there isn't really anything I can do about this.

He, uh...had an issue with being homophobic when I first set him up? I THINK I fixed this with some tweaking, but if it appears unexpectedly, let me know?

Character.AI improvements via star ratings on messages and user input are not immediate, and may be implemented days, weeks, or months later. If Snatcher suddenly starts behaving in bizarre ways after a period of time, this may be the cause.

Interaction Tips

FYI, you will initially be logged in as a guest, but if you run out of replies, your log will be saved and you can continue it if you make an account. (You can just log in with Discord.)

You can swipe on replies from the AI to generate a new one. If you save and start a new conversation, you are more or less working from a blank slate again.

These AIs are very suggestible. If none of the generated replies are satisfactory, you can remove the last messages and try a new prompt or to reword your last one with more direction.

Don't worry about godmodding; the characters aren't real. Feel free to describe in asterisks or parentheses how a character should feel about something; this will dictate how they respond.

As I mentioned under Known Issues, make sure to provide ample information in your initial message about setting and character to drive the interaction. If you want to write about an OC lost in the woods, describe that.

(...Just in case. Please don't try to cyber with him. The website won't let you.)

#mine #ahit #a hat in time #snatcher #snatcher ai #<- tag for this #sorry if my theme makes it difficult to read the information btw #i need to replace it

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ryuseiired · 6 months

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Hello I would like to ask you which ryuseitai stories you’d recommend? I want to like them more but I don’t know them very well so I thought understanding them as a unit and as characters may help with my goal, have a lovely day!!

Hi Anon, thank you so much for the ask! I'm kind of honored you'd ask me about this actually... this got a bit long so I've put it under a read more cut, but under that I have written out what I'd recommend as a reading guide to Ryuseitai... keep in mind I wouldn't consider myself a definitive expert on this and a lot of my recommended stories/reading order is just opinion! But hopefully this helps you out ❤️ I've also included links to translations/notes on where to find stories.

So! The first story I'd start with for Ryuseitai is Supernova. This is just overall a good introduction to the unit, it shows off their respective characters and early dynamics with each other starting out really well IMO. This is also the Ryuseitai story the anime chooses to adapt so that sort of backs me up on this as an intro I suppose haha.

After that I'd recommend some of the other lighter event stories from ! era, like School Festival 4 or Sweet Halloween. School Festival 4 has a bit of everyone, like Supernova! It's just a fun read that again helps get a better read on the early Ryuseitai dynamics. Sweet Halloween is also a Ra*bits story and has some cute Hajime and Tomoya interactions, as a bonus if you like them, but on the Ryuseitai side it focuses largely on Chiaki. Ryuseitai as a unit benefits from having a dedicated translator for it, so I get to include links for basically every story here which is nice!

I'd also rec Orihime and Hikoboshi, which is Ryuseitai's Tanabata Festival story shared with Trickstar! It's got some really nice interactions with Shinobu and Mao (they are friends and it's sooo sweet), and some... tense but narratively interesting interactions between Midori and Subaru. And as a bonus, Chiaki and Kanata are not the focus here and don't show up for a lot of the story, but I think the interactions they do get in this story are very silly.

(I'd also recommend: Scroll of the Elements if you're enjoying Shinobu, which is a shared story with Akatsuki that focuses on him and Souma. Buddy is also a cute gacha story focusing on Chiaki, and Christmas Live is more a 2wink story than a Ryuseitai story, but has some cute moments for Ryuseitai in it, especially featuring Shinobu and Tetora's friendships with Yuta and Hinata respectively. You can get away with skipping these, though.)

Climax is Ryuseitai's Repayment Festival story, and is the second-to-last ! era story I'd say is "required reading" for them. This one focuses a lot on Midori, and is really important for his character development, but by the nature of being set before graduation it's got moments for everyone.

Lastly... Meteor Impact, the one everyone knows about because it's a bit famous in the fanbase. This one is a longer and heavier read than just about anything else I've recommended so far, as it's Ryuseitai's Reminiscence story focusing on Chiaki and Kanata during the War. It's important to read this last. It gets hyped up a lot, and people get excited for you to read it, but it loses a lot of its impact if you haven't read at least some other Ryuseitai stories first. Take your time with reading this one, it's got a lot in it and you'll want to be sure you can process all of it. If you're a fan of Akatsuki or Madara, they've also got some good moments in here.

(If you're liking Kanata after reading Meteor Impact, you can also read Aquarium and Comic World, which are both a bit lighter Kanata stories that just read a bit better with the context of that lore.)

MOVING ON TO !! ERA... and oh God this got long I'm so sorry we're only just now getting to this section... you will want to know what happens in the !! Main Story to proceed with Ryuseitai stories. If you haven't read this already, it is really hard to find any full fan translations of it online, but it's available to read for free in the ENGstars app.

Motor Show is the first event story in !! era for them, shared with Alkaloid. It establishes the status quo for Ryuseitai at the start of !! era, with the unit split into two sections: "Ryuseitai-M" led by Chiaki (the same format as before) and operating as ES idols, and "Ryuseitai-N" led by Tetora within Yumenosaki. Focuses on Tetora struggling with growing into his role as a leader of the unit.

After this is Comet Show, which is... a heavier one. This is Chiaki's center event, and establishes the main conflict that's going to continue throughout the next few !! era event stories. Ironically, despite being Chiaki's center, this also has some really standout Midori moments in it.

(If you're looking for something lighter to read before moving on to the next story, and you're a Midori fan, you can also read the Dollhouse gacha story. Chiaki's shuffle unit story, Date Plan, is also cute and expands on his friendship with Kaoru. I don't have a translation link for Date Plan, but it is available on ENGstars.)

Submarine is the shared SS arc story for Ryuseitai, paired with Akatsuki again! (Can you tell there's a lot of connections between these units...) It is very important to have read Meteor Impact and Comet Show before reading this or you'll be confused. I read this early and I didn't really understand it lmao.

This one isn't quite so plot important, but is actually more lighthearted unlike a lot of the other !! era Ryuseitai event stories so I recommend reading it, Ninja Clan is Shinobu's center event! It's a fun read. Shinobu I love you.

Next up is the Big One, Tetora's center, Supervillain, which features another major status quo change for the unit, some really good character development for Tetora my beloved, and resolution of the conflict that's spanned across Comet Show and Submarine.

After this the most recent event story is Tropical, Midori's center. It's fun and relaxing after Supervillain, and focuses on the unit adjusting to their new arrangement. Optionally, if you're a Kanata fan and liked Meteor Impact, there's also a recent lookback scout ABYSS dropped for him recently that focuses on his childhood with Madara and Souma.

I am. So sorry this got so long, but hopefully it helps as a reading guide for getting more into the unit!!

#asks #Anonymous #ryuseitai #enstars #wow a theo original

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oldcrowshag · 11 months

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i would be super interested in hearing more about michigan bc i live up north ^.^ thanks for making that post, i didn't grow up here so i hadn't heard that legend before!!

Up North

apologies in the delay.

"Up North" in itself is such a liminality. ask a michigander where in the state the landscape turns into "Up North" (bonus points if you get them to point out places on their map-hands) and you'll probably get a different answer from everyone. Up North becomes analogous for the old ways-- an escape from Life and the sales tax of living it, diving headfirst into the woods just like the perfect arc you practiced on the dock behind your grandparents' cottage every summer. it's an encounter with the Lakeshore, because when you're Up North you have your pick of small seas to commune with. it's also foggy dawn meadows, and barren lonely winters, and small gas stops on a rural corner, and bears, and cougars, and wolves if you're lucky, and yes the fucked up deer. Up North has a smell, and honestly it's probably just fresh air. you live in a land of conservatives, anon, but also of wonder. keep your wits and learn its ways!!

anyway, speaking of lakes. as I said you could honestly reside anywhere in half of the state, so I'm electing to go Way Up North until I hit the beastly Lake Superior (gichi-gami in ojibwe). when you speak on her, you cannot help but let a certain reverence enter your voice. she's the deepest lake on the continent and holds 10% of the world's fresh water, and we have a saying about her:

Lake Superior never gives up her dead.

she's cold. most plants and animals don't survive on the bottom. it's the land of sponges and darkness. it's too cold for bacteria, so when a soul ends up down there, it stays there. if you aren't aware of the wreck of the edmund fitzgerald (rip gordon lightfoot) give it a listen if you want a good sea ballad. something similar happened to the USS Kamloops, and her captain went down with the ship. he remains preserved in the wreck to this day and can only be visited by expert divers. Superior has claimed an estimated 10000 lives, and many of those bodies are never seen again. she acts as psychopomp, a void you can slip into on a warm summer day. the deep water has long been associated with death energy-- in my personal practice I link waters in helping to venerate my ancestors and commune with certain deities. how would you use Her water and Her stones? when you greet Her after dark, and face the roaring yawn of the dark surf with no opposite shore, what do you hear within yourself? do you acknowledge the death She wears on a proud brow while birthing life out on the windswept shores? what would you consecrate in Her waters? yourself?

high summer is coming for us, anon. I suggest you hit the lake if you can, any one will do 😊

(I intend on writing more about Michigan craft and lore when I have the time but lmk if anyone is interested in that in my asks because hearing encouragement is nice lol)

#witchcraft #witchblr #strange winds #occult #pagan #wiccan #traditional witchcraft #Water witch #Sea witch #Lake superior

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t00nyah · 1 year

Text

some winter holidays au doodles i promised!

three and eight came more prepared the next holidays! small shout out to @adventurer-gearld bc it's inspired by her tags on my first au post! :D

and now i present to you a small dumb comic that happened in winter holidays au timeline because i CAN'T sit for 5 seconds not giving something more lore than it needs (feel free to ask if you don't understand anything i'll try to explain...) transcriptions under each image cause i'm not sure if it's hard to read sometimes...

DJ: Oh, uh, hi! I'm a new DJ here! Three: ...What happened to the old one? Dedf1sh? DJ: Oh, she left. Three: Left?

DJ: Well, uh... Most of us... chose to stay and forget ourselves again. It was like... we lost purpose. It was all over, we felt only emptiness... Uh... Some decided to leave, Dedf1sh did. We chose to stay. Play pretend. Pretend we're still perfect. Uh... And when Dedf1sh left vacancy was open. So here I am.

DJ: It's, uh. Quite hard, I don't know much, but I'm... trying my best-

Three: ...I'm a DJ. I could try to teach you stuff I know. If you want.

DJ: R...Really? Three: ...Sure.

bonus: uh-oh!

Three: ...I think we accidentally caused a massive existential crisis.

and a small lazy doodle bc i thought of a nickname for this little octo dj and her name is DJ Duali38! if you get the joke behind it i'm so proud of you fr fr

not claiming her being my oc she's just a character for this au

an idea that didn't make it's way to doodles(just cause i'm too tired to draw... and i'm not sure if i will ever draw it tbh)

[later]

Three: ...I think we have a mission to do. Callie: Whaaat? Nooo, I thought we're here for the party! Marie: Why are you giving us missions anyway? It's not like you're our captain. [smirks] Three: ... [looks away, embarassed a little, not sure if they should actually spill the beans] Marie: [actually kind of concerned] ...Relax. You know I'm just teasing. Eight: Well... What is our mission any way?

#splatoon #splatoon au #winter holidays au #sanitized octoling #sanitized octarian #agent 8 #agent 3

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gauntletqueen · 11 months

Note

You've talked positively about 2 before, but what about the rest of the Rayman series?

I have a long history with the Rayman series! So I'll put it under a readmore

I used to play Rayman 1 a lot when I was little, but never beat it because it is Bullshit. You need to 100% it in order to get the ending. Not the "good ending" or "best ending" but ANY ending at all. You're not allowed to fight the final boss unless you've collected every collectible and some of the levels later on get Pretty Bullshit afhhgasf That said, the visuals and music for it are wonderful! And most of the levels, with their slow, careful platforming, are very fun and unique even today. I think, anyway.

Let's also include Rayman 2: The Great Escape, which is one of my all-time favorite games! I own like over 10 copies of it across several platforms (PC and 3DS are the best ways to play it btw) and have beat it more than any other game, easily (Sonic R runner up) It more or less reinvented the world from the first game, giving clearer lore, and a more mystical, immersive feeling to the fantasy world. The characters are endearing, the gameplay is tight and makes it super enjoyable to run through the fluid level design. Also the soundtrack is REALLY GOOD!!!! (Some of this might be nostalgia speaking but also I think I'm right probably)

Rayman M is FUN I love the music and visual design of the levels. It's not like. Good. Per se. There's basically no way to catch up once you're behind in a race, and the arena mode is pretty awkward, but I have a soft spot for it :>

Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc (which I'll be streaming on the 21st for charity!!) retains a lot of the cool mystique and creative fantasy from the first game, along with expanding on the wonderful artstyle. It's VERY 2000's with making Rayman more rugged and quippy, but not to any degree that really ruins the character. I like it a lot!

Rayman Raving Rabbids makes me Sad. It was supposed to be so much more than just a wacky minigame collection. Many of the minigames are fun! And if this was just a little spinoff from the main Rayman series it wouldn't be that bad. However, this marked the beginning of the death of Rayman as I knew and loved him. From this moment on, we just got more Raving Rabbids games. each subsequent installment focussed less and less on Rayman, until he was removed entirely, and wouldn't appear again until many years later. I was extremely saddened by this and hated the rabbids for a long time as a result.

Rayman finally made his return in Rayman Origins, which is critically acclaimed and the first thing that comes to mind for many people when they think of Rayman. I was Extremely Excited when it was announced, and like the previous games, the visuals of the game are beautiful. The gameplay is also fantastic, but I actually hate the story and how it portrays the characters. The game sends many mixed messages about what it wants to be, where it fits into the series, whether it's a sequel of a reboot, it's a mess. I was worried about where the series would go from here.

Rayman Legends validated my worries, by being even nicer to look at, more satisfying to play, and even worse in terms of story. The most half-baked setup for a story with no payoff. But hey it does have the music levels and those are the best so. I guess it evens out. (fun fact even though I don't like the two most recent games, I still 100% them ashfhgaf)

(bonus round) Rayman Adventures is like random small Rayman Legends levels but on mobile, they did a great job of fitting the controls to just sliding and tapping the screen, it was quite fun actually

Thank you!! Hope this was fun to read cause it's a lot hsafhgafs

#Rayman

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levy120 · 4 months

Text

Just Sit in My Shadows With Me

Rating: G

Words: 1,100 (Complete)

Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort

Lore: Dream Catcher (Bonus Story)

Characters: Jano, Rayman

Summary: A minor accident rekindles Jano's doubts, but Rayman refuses to let him spiral.

Read also on: [ao3]

More like this: [Dream Catcher Masterpost] & [Rayman Oneshots Masterpost]

It was just a moment.

A careless instant.

For but a second Jano had forgotten that he’s dangerous.

But the regret comes swift and sits deep in his bones. Rayman tries to turn the cut out of sight, but his glove gets tainted by the seeping blood.

“No, really,” he says fighting the hiss in his voice, “It’s fine. Don’t worry.”

But Jano doesn’t trust the words. He flinches away and hunkers, peers up at Rayman like a pile of misery. He’s trying to glance into his mind searching for confirmation of his lie, but all the Limbless is thinking about is him. Him. HIM.

Be in pain at least. Be honest. Jano knows what he’s supposed to expect, but Rayman has either gotten so good at veiling his thoughts from him or-

He almost doesn’t see the hand reaching out for him in time, but he does and flinches away before Rayman can touch him.

“It was an accident,” Rayman says, “It’ll heal. I can get some red lums.”

The words are distant, Jano’s gaze flickers unseeing, Rayman’s face is a blur, all he can see is that faint streak of red, all he can smell is that subtle stench of iron.

“It’s all right…”

“No!” Jano bellows as he hops back from Rayman with purpose, bringing new distance between them.

“No, it is not.” He doesn’t get it. He can’t get it. It’s like he’s physically incapable of understanding!

“That’s what I am!” Jano says. His talon is pointing at Rayman for extra measure. A deadly pinprick away, were it not shaking like a leaf.

Rayman doesn’t say anything, but Jano feels small under his gaze, tries to shield himself from it.

“I admit it was… fun to pretend for a while,” the Nightmare says as he hops another foot back and turns away.

The Limbless can tell where this is going, it's beginning to gnaw on his patience. They'd been making such progress, Rayman had been able to coax the Nightmare into play, showed him some of his basketball tricks when Jano had reached out to engage and… well.

Rayman isn't bothered. Really. The sting is barely noticable, the cut superficial. Rayman went through worse whenever the world called for him, but Jano takes it as a slight if only he were to break a hair on Rayman's head - and then he grows stubborn and won't listen. It's like wallowing is a strange hobby to Jano.

The Limbless lets out an audible sigh to draw Jano's attention, then has the audacity to laugh.

“I fail to see what's so funny,” Jano grumbles. It's an affront if Jano is here, trying to be miserable.

“We should do this again. You were having fun! I'll bring a ball next time if you're so worried.”

Jano sneers at Rayman. How can he pretend nothing happened?

“You act like I'm a child,” he growls, “Need I remind you-”

“Because you're learning,” Rayman cuts him off, “And you're a far cry from when… when you started accepting help.”

If someone had told Rayman a year ago that the monster that spit and guarded Nightmares would wound up his friend and learn how to frolic, Rayman would have deemed them a lost cause.

Since then he too has come to learn - Jano taught him in return - that nothing was a last cause if given the proper opportunities.

“Could you stop treating me like a project?” Jano laments, “And just accept that I'm sorry?”

“Janoooo,” Rayman's hands come closing in and squish his face, “There's nothing to be sorry for. I was just a little careless. That's all.”

Daintily needles for fingers pry his hands away, just so Jano can speak.

“Rayman,” the Nightmares speaks and the Limbless perks with attention. “You wanna help?”

“Yeah.”

Jano's talons move for Rayman's belly. His hands hover over it with trepidation, a finger curls so the dull flat of his knuckle can spin it to reveal the gash with the smeared bloodstain on his hoodie.

Rayman looks at it before glancing at Jano. Neither of them say anything. Then Jano picks his wand and cautiously pushes the torso to a spot by the wall.

“Sit there,” Jano says, “And shut up.”

His choice of words is rough, but there's a rawness in his voice that doesn't make it hurt. Rayman's feet pad over to catch up where his belly dropped and as the rest of him gathers there too, he sits.

Now that he's being still he's aware of just how much he's been pacing before. His breath calms as he looks at the spot that sometimes serves as a campfire. Rayman should bring treats one day, and introduce Jano to the concept of smores.

From his spot Rayman can feel the Nightmare watching him like a hawk, but unlike Jano, the Limbless is not a mind reader. It's impossible to tell what Jano is thinking. It's like the reflection of the campfire dances in his exes as though the fireplace wasn't just a pile of ash right now.

The eye roams him in silence until the faint clicking of Jano's bones breaks it. When Rayman looks next, the Nightmare is transfixed on his claws. Soft sounds of shaky breaths that edge on the line of being a sob, swallowed before it sees the light of day.

…

Then Jano inches closer. A tentative hand hovers over the gash from earlier that long since has stopped bleeding. Rayman watches in silence, even as the hand starts to tremble.

Unbidden the Limbless lets himself sag sideways, slumping against the Nightmare who flinches in surprise, but doesn't back off, lest it would mean for his friend to meet harsh, solid ground.

Rayman hums in thought, then-

“No offense,” he says, “But Globox is more comfy.”

Jano chuckles despite himself. Rayman sees the tension fall from Jano's arm as it sags a little.

“How so?” the Guardian asks.

“Well,” Rayman pretends to ponder.

“He's got more belly fat. So he's a lot more squishy. And he's a lot less, uh…”

Jano laughs, feeling less restrained with Rayman's bare honesty.

“Slimey?”

Rayman looks like he's thinking hard for a moment.

“You stink.”

And Jano guffaws.

A smile graces Rayman's lips as he nuzzles into his friend's side regardless of the texture of his warts or the stench of his chosen pillow. He closes his eyes, ready to wind down his relentless energy and enjoy a nap when it's offered so openly to him.

He says no more, Jano's soft thank you lingering in the silent space.

And when he feels the soft weight of hands laying to rest on him - not dangerous, but gentle and cautious; soft as a feather as Jano relearns how to handle his fear - Rayman allows himself to drift off into sleep.

And Jano feels the seed of his friend's trust begin to take root.

#rayman #fanfiction #rayman fanfiction #dreamcatcher #fluff #hurt/comfort #happy holidays #have some self indulgent fluff #I'll have to update the masterpost later because posting on mobile is a challenge

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utilitycaster · 2 years

Note

arcane archer anon here. I'm in a party of 3 with a paladin and mercy monk. I'm mostly looking for buffs as I'm in the back row and tend not to get hit as much; and we've had a few close calls that made me want to get emergency healing so we can all pick each other up in a fight. my charisma is decent at 13 but I didn't even consider bard or warlock until now. so I'd appreciate your suggestions! I want to eventually get to level 5 fighter but spending 2+ levels on something else is fine by me.

So. To be totally transparent this is a kind of rough party build; you all chose martial classes for a three-person party and that requires really careful DM-ing to balance out well, and even then I think close calls are just going to be part of the territory. In my experience the more feasible 3 person party builds either have a full/almost full caster support healer (bard, druid, cleric, divine soul sorcerer, celestial warlock) or two half caster healers (paladin, artificer, ranger, and ideally it's one of paladin or alchemist artificer). Way of Mercy is great, but the healing output is quite limited.

I wouldn't want to stretch you too thin stats wise, but more spell slots are better here; three levels in a full casting class with healing would give you a pretty solid base. The good news is that if you're using your spells mostly for buffing and healing and doing damage with your fighter abilities, your casting stat doesn't need to be more than 13/14 to give you some good results.

My thoughts are that, depending on what you prefer in terms of vibes/story, bard or celestial warlock are both options that give you a really good payoff amount for 3 levels. I think celestial warlock is probably the better choice in terms of pure mechanics in this scenario, but I do love bards, and I also respect if you don't want the narrative baggage that comes with celestial warlock. Also, the order in which you level doesn't matter - I'd take one level in the charisma casting class of your choice first, but after that it's up to you and how the game is going. By level 8 you should be Fighter 5/Caster 3, basically, but the order in which you get there from Fighter 3/Caster 1 is entirely your decision.

Bard: If you focus on utility cantrips that don't require saving throws (eg: message, mage hand) and similarly take healing word, cure wounds, and some other high utility non-combat spells (eg: disguise self, detect magic, feather fall) you'll be in good shape, and 3 levels in bard will give you quite a lot of healing. Swords Bard, hilariously, does not require you make melee attacks to do the flourishes, though it's definitely designed around melee fighting for other features (the bonus proficiencies and fighting style): but you can just rely on defensive flourish every single time, which deals a little extra damage and increases your AC. Valor also works thematically and will buff attacks, and Lore gives you a bunch of extra skills as well as cutting words.

Celestial Warlock: the best feature here is the L1 Healing Light feature, which works at the same distance as healing word. You also get access to cure wounds. I would personally take 3 levels, get pact of the tome, and then take spare the dying and whichever two other cantrips you want. You also get invocations, which add tons of utility (I'd lean towards out of combat ones relating to perceiving things; eldritch sight might be a good idea given no one else has detect magic). I assume that you'll be taking short rests because you have a monk in the party, so your spells will regenerate, which is nice. Basically, you will have a zillion cantrips and cantrip-like abilities, cure wounds, a few spells (again, focus on things with no attack/save - hex seems like an obvious choice, and comprehend languages is useful) and a small pool of Healing Light dice.

Oh also, fwiw, if your monk (presumably high wisdom) is open to taking a single level of life or grave cleric, and specifically taking the spare the dying cantrip and healing spells, that would also have a pretty significant payoff for a small leveling investment; between the two of you that would do a ton towards opening up the utility of the party.

#d&d mechanics #this was a tricky one but it was super interesting thanks anon!

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yostresswritinggirl · 1 year

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I should be doing the RRL’s for my thesis and preparing for the oral defense rn but God damn am i brain rotting so hard rn. I still have all the brainrots i had from days ago and even new ones (I’m too hyperfixated on Al Ahmar and the Goddess of Flowers rn that all i can think about is the angst ) haunting me 24/7. But mother you, borg and cyno lovebot anon reading through your guys brainrots reminded me of some I had when I first read “What the heart offers.”

I think he'd even start to think that the reader finally caught up to the rumors and gossips, succumbed to the discrimination and started replacing him with the forest scholars oof the betrayal, the pain - confrontation with him as the student is FAR more aggressive than the slow burn on the original setup.

This was literally one of them, because I really thought that at the end of the story when the reader lost their memories, it meant that their whole memories of their time with Cyno.

But since I hadn’t thought of the half heart situation at that time, instead of him aggressively asking the reader, I just imagined that even though he wanted to approach the reader he couldn’t, for fear of hurting them again and the memories of their barely breathing body bloodied up inside the ruins would always haunt him.

The day of the accident, being the day he could confidently say was the day his life just basically fell apart, as from that day onward he lost the only person who made him feel loved and cared, the only person in the akademiya who was his pillar and his light against the dark gazes of the other scholars, but now all that was left now is someone who looks at him in distain for being a child born from the dessert

So even if it pained him he just slowly watched as the reader turn like everyone in the akademiya, leaving him all alone which wouldn’t be much of a difference from before he met the reader, but now there will forever be a hole in his heart (Ironically) where he could only fill it up with guilt for not being enough to protect them.

Bonus: Cyno would still be protective of the reader who even now unknowingly still has his beaten up heart in their grasps. That no matter how reader of today has changed to one who has turned to hate him, hate him all they want but that won’t change how his heart would only belong to them and only them. He would also occasionally visit them at night like how he visits collei, passing by just to check if they’re safe and sound and if there isn’t danger lurking near their home.

I’d love to add more to this brainrot but rn my brain is currently dead and I’m still gonna proceed to murder it further since I have yet to finish the thesis.

Also mother… since when… did we have a geovishap…?

- Lady in the lake anon

(P.S I’ve tried writing, technically still am since I’m a literary editor for my uni’s student publication, before and let’s just say the story was better written in my head)

Oh my goodness, the moment you mentioned those words, I immediately looked at my hardbound thesis and shuddered (I almost forgot it existed) I am still healing, please be mindful when talking about research /j

But hey goddamnit not again with yall brainrotting and not doing school shit, go away! On the other hand, if you need advice or questions, I'm here for that too!

(I've always been hyperfixated on the scarlet king and goddess of flowers since I heard of them, I need more of their lore gdi) It's so funny how What The Heart Offers pretty much transcended past the fic itself and now have so many versions, I'm starting to get confused of it myself haha

Glad we have the same brain but that's so mean, I can't possibly think of that myself hhh! But it's so true isn't it, actually much worse if the roles are reversed where he's the one with the memory loss, ughfhufhfh but geezus you're really tearing Cyno apart here come on skdbdoanwnajdo

Oh we've had a geovishap since long ago! Our primo geovishap is spiriteddreams haha

(nah you did fantastic shush!)

#heart!cyno #lady in the lake #exile.goblet #exile.reader #about deepwood #dandi

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justasmallbloginabigklainefandom · 2 months

Text

Alright, I have finished Side Order on my 11th run, so here are some thots.

It's fine.

Like, that's basically what it comes down to. It's fine. I had fun with it and I am definitely going to replay it. I don't know if I'll aim for 100% completion, but I am definitely interested in trying out more builds and weapon combinations. I think that's where the strength of this DLC lies: experimentation. It's wonderful that it makes the gameplay feel new and fresh again.

I initially was disappointed when I saw it was a roguelite, since I am not vibing with roguelites a lot, apart from Hades. As a result, I compared it a lot to Hades. (Since I don't know how common these mechanics are in roguelites in general.) I like that you are encouraged to do every weapon in order to get keys, like in Hades. Re-playing it with a weapon just gives "less valuable" items that don't progress the overall story. And yes, figuring out your builds is great, especially since there is a random aspect to it. You can unlock a hack that let's you reroll the floor selection, but still, if you don't get the chips you want, it's going to be different from what you expected. For example, I really wanted to amp up my charger with a quick charge, or something, only to get one quick charge chip. The more you have of the same chip, the more effective that chip effect will be.

The chips also work together. Like, poison ink works really well with sticky ink, etc. Acht also gives hints on how to mix and match chips. I do miss some more interesting combinations, like the Duo Boon and Legendary Boon system in Hades. That would encourage people to really hunt for chips. So yes, the mix and match of chip builds and weapons is the best part of this game.

Now, my least favourite part is that I think the different floors just aren't inviting enough. It's always one of the same 4 objectives in different floors. Yes, there's difficulty levels etc., but most of the time, I am dreading doing the actual climb, which is... uh... not good. Same goes for the bosses. They're amazing, but apart from the final boss, there are only 3 of them. I do like that each boss floor has a chance to be any of those 3, unlike Hades, where it's always the same boss on a certain level, but I do feel like the game favours some more than others. I barely fight Parallel Canon and that happens to be my favourite.

Also, it looks like a full run is around an hour long, which is just a bit too long for my liking. When I am at the last floors I can really feel my interest dropping and I am getting tired. Maybe if the game made it more inviting to constantly beat your own record, it'd be more inviting to redo all these stages. I know that the UI tells you when you've hit a new time record, but maybe a log or something with all the levels and your times on it would make it more inviting. And yes, there are a lot of floor types, including some I haven't seen yet because they're rigorous level, so it's not super boring and repetitive, but it still is.

But it's a good thing that these repetitive levels are used for your chip builds, since again, that is super fun and the main replay value for me. And of course, there are additional bonus and danger floors that can show up at random.

As for the story, it's fine. It's not mind-blowing or anything. Maybe it will be. I haven't unlocked all of Marina's logs yet. But yeah, if you're expecting some deep lore, then you'll be disappointed. It's just fine. The character writing is amusing, though, and I am a big fan of Acht, so the character do shine, but it's not going to blow your socks off.

Overall, I don't love it, but I don't have to in order to still enjoy it. It's fine. It's fun.

#lb 2024 #lb gaming

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thryth-gaming · 3 months

Text

Pathfinder 2e - Nure-Onna

The Nure-Onna is a monster in the game Nioh 2 and it looks a bit like this.

They have a rather distinctive fighting style and they're fairly difficult if you're not used to them, moving about in hard to manage ways.

youtube

So, I'm going to do a 1-20 build of a character like this in Pathfinder 2e. I've messed with this a little bit, finding out you could make this sort of character by accident. Some things I'm going to put on priority:

The paralyzing stare (actually, I can get a legitimate petrification ability)

The association with water.

The forceful attacks and focus on grappling.

I'll try to work in the thing with the darts, but not sure I'll be able to make it. I could try for the whipping hair, but I think that would requiring taking a dedication into Witch and I'd rather keep the Feats.

1st Level

Basics

Ancestry: Nagaji

Heritage: Sacred Nagaji

Background: Song of the Deep

Class: Monk

Ability Boosts

Nagaji: Constitution and Strength

Song of the Deep: Strength

Monk: Dexterity

1st Level: Strength, Dexterity, Wisdom, Charisma

Skill Training

Acrobatics: Trained

Athletics: Trained

Intimidation: Trained

Lore: Ocean: Trained

Performance: Trained

Stealth: Trained

Saving Throw Proficiency

Fortitude: Expert

Reflex: Expert

Will: Expert

Class, Defenses, and Weapon Proficiency

Perception: Trained

Simple Weapons: Trained

Unarmed Weapons: Trained

Unarmored Defense: Expert

Monk Class: Trained

Features

Low-Light Vision (Nagaji)

Brawling Tail (Sacred Nagaji)

Flurry of Blows (Monk)

Powerful Fist (Monk)

Speed: 25 ft, 10 ft Swim

Feats

Ancestry Feat: Water Nagaji

Class Feat: Reflective Ripple Stance

Bonus Feat: Breath Control

Reasoning: Song of the Deep gives the ability to breathe water, Water Nagaji gives a Swim Speed. Water Nagaji also gives Breath Control which seems extraneous when she can breathe water, but it's useful against gas too. I originally opted for Gorilla Stance and while it points to the raw strength of the attacks, it also limits to only the gorilla slam attacks. Also, just the name evokes what I'm thinking of.

Performance is just for fun due to a bit of art a friend of mine shared me. Not familiar with the artist, so won't place it here.

2nd Level

Class Feat: Crushing Grab

Skill Feat: Slippery Prey

So she can do damage in a grapple and also avoid being grappled.

3rd Level

Skill Increase: Athletics

General/Skill Feat: Titan Wrestler

Mystic Strikes

Incredible Movement

So she can grapple bigger things.

4th Level

Class Feat: Ki Rush

Skill Feat: Underwater Marauder

Ki Spells: Occult

For more movement options. Underwater and speed in general. Went with occult because yokai feel more like something on the darker side.

5th Level

Ancestry Feat: Serpent's Tongue

Skill Increase: Stealth

Ability Boosts: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence

New Skill Training: Diplomacy

Alertness

Expert Strikes

6th Level

Class Feat: Ki Blast

Skill Feat: Assurance: Athletics

Well, so, with Ki Blast basically lets me do the dart volley. (Though it doesn't have the paralytic aspect of the attack in the video game) Assurance Athletics to make her attempts to grapple and trip more reliable.

7th Level

General/Skill Feat: Wall Jump

Skill Increase: Athletics

Path to Perfection: Fortitude

Weapon Specialization

More proficiency with Athletics, better Fortitude saves and more movement.

8th Level

Class Feat: Dragon Stance

Skill Feat: Quick Squeeze

Ability to get through tight spaces quicker and another stance to use when I need it. Also, this will be interesting later.

9th Level

Ancestry Feat: Serpentine Swimmer

Skill Increase: Intimidation

Metal Strikes

Monk Expertise

Faster swimming and scarier.

10th Level

Class Feat: Dragon's Roar

Skill Feat: Say that Again!

Ability Boosts: Exterity, Constitution, Wisdom, Charisma

An intimidating roar appropriate to the Nure-Onna from the game, an ability to punish someone trying to scare you.

11th Level

General/Skill Feat: Battle Cry

Skill Increase: Intimidation

Path to Perfection: Reflex

Another scary scream and increased scariness.

12th Level

Class Feat: Flurry of Maneuvers

Skill Feat: Quick Climb

A quick ability to climb. Flurry of Maneuvers lets her do grapples and trips for Flurry of Blows.

13th Level

Ancestry Feat: Disruptive Stare

Skill Increase: Acrobatics

Graceful Mastery

Master Strikes

The acrobatics helps her move better and the disruptive stare lets her interfere with enemy spellcasters.

14th Level

Class Feat: Winding Flow

Skill Feat: Too Angry to Die

Too Angry to Die basically describes a lot of yokai, and Winding Flow is more movement.

15th Level

General/Skill Feat: Feather Step

Skill Increase: Athletics

Ability Boosts: Strength, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom

Path to Perfection: Will

Greater Weapon Specialization

Her Athletics is now Legendary, which means she now has a Climb speed through Quick Climb and she can step into difficult terrain.

16th Level

Class Feat: Medusa's Wrath

Skill Feat: Terrified Retreat

This completes the list of things she can do with gazes and people will flee from her as well.

17th Level

Ancestry Feat: Venom Spit

Skill Increase: Intimidation

Adamantine Strikes

Graceful Legend

And this gives us the ability to have the poison spit ability from the Nure-Onna (could have taken this a while ago, but it was low on priority). And now she's legendary in Intimidation.

18th Level

Class Feat: Diamond Fists

Skill Feat: Skeptic's Defense

Diamond Fists increases the amount of damage she can do while Skeptic's Defense can punish casters trying to scare her.

19th Level

General/Skill Feat: Scare to Death

Skill Improvement: Stealth

Perfected Form

20th Level

Class Feat: Fuse Stance: Dragon+Reflective Ripple - Nure-Onna

Skill Feat: Swift Sneak

Ability Boosts: Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma

So, this is why I wanted both Dragon and Reflective Ripple Stance, the 20th level Class Feat allows for fusing their benefits into a single form. And now she scan sneak very quickly.

End build:

I'm sure I have some inefficiencies in here since I'm new to the game, but I was building more toward flavor.

#Pathfinder 2e #TTRPG #theorycrafting #character creation #roleplaying games #rpg #roleplaying #nioh 2 #Nure-onna #Youtube

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chewyjellycable · 5 months

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pssst you should totally dump reverse turnabout identity lore here /nf /hj

HELP you have no idea what you're unleashing by prompting my rambling!!!! /Silly

This got kinda long so I'll put it under a Read More for the sake of everyone that winds up looking at this. :]

Okay so. Turnabout Identity has Bredele De Cassonade Cookie accidentally killing his sibling Langue de Chat Cookie with mending magic because of a lie that Langue told him. That mending magic can be used for healing purposes. This goes horribly wrong and Langue winds up dying in the forest after an accident on a nature walk, with Bredele going through this whole mental arc by himself where he basically convinces himself that HE is actually Langue and that DELE was the one that died. In this instance, we like to call Dele "Languele" because it's a combination of both Bredele and Langue!!

Now, we flip this on its head. Instead of Dele killing Langue, Langue kills Dele!! In what manner? Good question!! It could be the nature walk where Dele gets injured and Langue makes it worse because they're absolutely not used to performing medical treatments on people. Bonus if Dele is trying to give them advice and they're just Refusing to listen out of their own ego (and panic).

And now it's LANGUE convincing themself that they're Bredele. This instance is called "Cassochat", a combination of Cassonade and Chat. (Thank you to my pal Almond for figuring out these names btw.)

Now what's interesting about THIS is that while Languele is a lot more empathetic and lax about his differences between the real Langue and him because he subconsciously understands that's how trauma operates, Cassochat... Keeps their perfectionism. And when it comes to "forgetting" everything medically, there's this intense frustration of not being able to remember.

They'll spend so much time trying to "relearn" everything, getting frustrated at themself. And with the weak stomach that Langue has, despite the days of trying to learn what they think they should already know by being "Bredele", all that is thrown out the window when they actually go to treat a patient. Particularly with surgery, where their weak stomach and disgust towards anything bloody or gorey comes back to haunt them. Dele is able to withstand so much horrific sights, but Cassochat? Absolutely not. Another doctor is forced to substitute for Cassochat's duties due to this, and it makes them feel so much WORSE because they're supposed to be an EXPERT, so WHY did they forget? WHY is such a sight so upsetting to them? Back to the books for days on end, it seems...

Langue casually ruining Dele's career... Even if by accident. Then again, Dele does the same when he tries to replace the other. They can't be each other no matter how hard they try. </3

#chewy ask #turnabout identity au #au tag #beetsoupxxo #oc tag #bredele de cassonade cookie #langue de chat cookie #reverse turnabout identity au

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grailfinders · 2 years

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Fate and Phantasms #266: Mysterious Alter Ego Λ

That's right folks, today on Fate and Phantasms we're building the mysterious ballerina-turned-idol-turned-casino-owner Mysterious Alter Ego Λ! Her identity is truly a...

I can't do this. It's Meltryllis. It's Meltryllis in a penguin suit, with a penguin. That's it. She doesn't even have a new gimmick. She's still an Aberrant Mind Sorcerer to liquefy herself and anyone else she wants to, but now that she's focusing on her dance moves more than her sadism she's a Lore Bard to make some penguin friends.

Check out her build breakdown below the cut, or her character sheet over here!

Next up: That's the weirdest suppository I've ever seen.

(Appropriately enough, this post is glitching for some reason, so the formatting isn't quite what I'd like it to be. We'll try to fix it later.)

Race and Background

Even though she's out of cyberspace, Melt is still a Water Genasi, though this time she gets +2 Dexterity and +1 Charisma. She also gets Acid Resistance, and can master the water thanks to being Amphibious and having her own swim speed. She can also Call to the Wave because she knows the Shape Water cantrip, and at level 3 she can cast Create or Destroy Water once a day. She's also still A Inheritor, so that's Arcana and Performance proficiency. Again, computers probably don't exist in D&D, but if they do in your campaign, it probably runs on arcana.

Ability Scores

You're a master of ballet, so your Charisma and Dexterity should be as high as you can get them. After that is your Intelligence, since running all the pools in Las Vegas is a complicated business. Your Constitution's also above average- turns out it's hard to cut water. Your Strength isn't anything to write home about, but we're dumping Wisdom. You thought working with Kingprotea was a good idea.

Class Levels

Bard 1: Bards are cool, they can do just about anything. You start off with proficiency in Dexterity and Charisma saves, which is nice considering you're technically not from the material plane. You also get proficiency in any three skills of your choosing, like Animal Handling, Acrobatics, and Deception. Oh yes, this casino is perfectly harmless, don't worry about how tired you're getting, just keep losing at slots! You can also use Bardic Inspiration to help an ally, giving them a d6 they can add to a d20 roll they make for a minute. Giving one away takes a bonus action, and you can do this Charisma Modifier times a day. I know it's not in character to actually help people, but don't worry this'll turn into something better in a bit. You also learn some Spells that use your Charisma to cast, like using Blade Ward to partially liquefy yourself for resistance to physical attacks, or True Strike to jab your heel into someone's throat. You can also use Animal Friendship to play with penguins, Bane to suck away someone's life force and reduce their attacks and saves by a d4 for a minute, Longstrider for extra maneuverability, and Silvery Barbs. I know I use it a lot, but weakening an opponent to make yourself stronger is literally Melt's deal.

Bard 2: Second level bards are Jacks of All Trades, adding half your proficiency to any skill check you make without proficiency. You also get a Song of Rest which isn't in-character but honestly it almost never is. You also get Magical Inspiration though! Now your inspiration dice can help with magic damage and healing too! You can also cast Color Spray now, and it'll blind your enemies if their current HP is less than the amount you roll. Have you ever got chlorine in your eyes? Shit sucks.

Sorcerer 1: Yep, you're still an Aberrant Mind sorcerer. For the sake of time, we won't cover any Spells here that didn't change from the last time we did this. And yes, you have spells. They use your Charisma, and since we're multiclassing spellcasters check the PHB for how your slots work. You get Psionic spells as freebies, and you can swap them out with divination or enchantment spells if you want. You can also use Telepathic Speech to speak to creatures with your mind as long as they start within 30' of you and stay within Charisma Modifier miles. It lasts Sorcerer Level minutes, or until you use this feature again. Since we picked up blade ward from our bard levels, now we're grabbing Dancing Lights for more of a stage presence.

Bard 3: Becoming a Lore bard makes you really skilled. Literally, you get three more skills of your choice. Pick up Persuasion and Perception to get more people into your casino and pick VIPs out of the crowd, and then pick up Stealth so you can disappear into the water. Like literally, you're mostly water already, it's not hard. But I know what you're saying: "Whoever's making these things, that's not enough skills!" First off that's very rude, we've known each other two years and you've seriously never thought to ask my name? It's Kris btw, but more importantly we have you covered with Expertise doubling your proficiency bonus in two skills, like Performance and Acrobatics for dances that will knock their socks off. You can also funnel your inspiration into Cutting Words, spending your inspiration dice to reduce a creature's attack, check, or damage roll by the amount you roll. This doesn't say enemy by the way, just in case you want to play to character. Why would you do that to an ally, you ask? Because you're the star of the show, and everyone will know it if you cast Enthrall. That gives the creatures you hit with the spell disadvantage to notice anyone other than you for the duration if they fail a wisdom check.

Sorcerer 2: At second level you become a Font of Magic, giving you sorcery points each day equal to your sorcerer level. Spend points to make slots, spend slots to make points. Easy. This also means you can get Mage Armor, utterly nullifying the whole reason we went monk back in the first build by giving you an AC of 13 plus your dexterity.

Sorcerer 3: Third level sorcerers learn Metamagic to customize your spells. Turn acid to water and water to acid with Transmuted spells, letting you swap their damage types. You can also melt down your foes' defenses with Heightened Spells, giving a creature disadvantage on their first save against a spell.

Bard 4: At fourth level bards get their first Ability Score Improvement. Bump up your Charisma for stronger spells and more inspiration. You can also cast Mage Hand to pull things around with a bit of water, or use Kinetic Jaunt to liquefy yourself further for additional speed and so you can ignore attacks of opportunity.

Sorcerer 4: Fourth level sorcerers also get an ASI, so pick up the Elemental Adept feat to supercharge your Acid spells. You now ignore resistance to acid, and you always deal at least 2 damage per die, which is huge on acid spells since those generally use a lot of small dice instead of a few big ones. We're also picking up Ray of Frost instead of Green-Flame Blade. You left your feet knives at home, but you can still splash people if you wanna.

Sorcerer 5: Fifth level sorcerers can use Magical Guidance as a reaction, spending a sorcery point to re-roll a failed check. You know, in case the expertise and advantage from Enhance Ability wasn't enough for you.

Sorcerer 6: Sixth level AM sorcerers can perform Psionic Sorcery, letting you cast leveled psionic spells by spending sorcery points instead of a spell slot. If you do so you don't need verbal, somatic, or unconsumed material components. Most of your spells are just subroutines you can perform, no need to make a fuss. You also get Psychic Defenses from your Core of the Goddess, giving you resistance to psychic damage and advantage on saves against being charmed or frightened.

Bard 5: Fifth level's still good for bards, even if they get it six levels later than usual. This is the level your inspiration grows to a d8, and you become a Font of Inspiration giving you your inspiration dice back on short rests instead of long ones. You also pick up Nondetection to keep meddling wizards from discovering your slots are cursed until it's too late. It'll also be handy in hiding Kingprotea, because let's be real she is not hard to find otherwise.

Bard 6: Sixth level bards get disappointed with Countercharm, but if you're a lore bard this level isn't a total waste since you still have Additional Magic Secrets to look forward to? (Is is really "additional" if we're not getting the regular secrets? Anyways.) You get two spells from any spell list- use Tidal Wave to sink your opponents, and Summon Beast to give yourself a penguin with the "Beast of the Sea" option. I know, it's a travesty that they don't have penguins in 5e, but we'll carry on. You can also Bestow Curses now with your melt virus. Basically any effect is possible if your DM signs off on it. In a couple levels we'll have ninth level slots, so you can make these little demerits permanent if you want to.

Sorcerer 7: Your normal fourth level spell is fine here, but we are gonna mess with your psionic spells a bit. Since you're more Leviathan than Sarasvati, we will be keeping Evard's Black Tentacles for that kraken style takedown. We're still replacing Summon Aberration though- pick up Charm Monster instead to convince your "sister" to be your bodyguard. KP's a great bouncer for your club, and she can probably survive your tidal waves, right?

Sorcerer 8: Eighth level sorcerers get another ASI, and let's get a little more Mobile to keep up with your Alter Ego self. This gives you an additional 10' of movement, and you can ignore difficult terrain while dashing and opportunity attacks from creatures you're fighting against. Water's slippery, who knew?

Sorcerer 9: Ninth level sorcerers get fifth level spells, and the big difference here is we're keeping Telekinesis. If watery sphere can lift people up, so can other spells. Just call it a big ball of water, and you're good.

Sorcerer 10: Tenth level sorcerers get another Metamagic option, so let's get some Subtle spells so you can use that Psionic Sorcery benefit on any spell you want: no muss, no fuss, no verbal or somatic components.

Sorcerer 11: Eleventh level sorcerers get sixth level spells! Since you left your... "skates" at home, we'll go on the defensive instead with Fizban's Platinum Shield. This gives you half cover for an AC boost, resistance to elemental damage, and evasion, reducing half the damage from dexterity saves off the bat. You can give this to other creatures, but why would you?

Sorcerer 12: Use this last ASI to max out your Charisma. The most inspiration, and the best spells possible, what more could you want? Stick around for the last two levels and find out.

Sorcerer 13: Wow, nineteenth level and you're still using a 4th level spell for your NP? Let's fix that: did you know putting a Whirlwind over water makes it a waterspout? It'll look like your NP, even if this doesn't change anything mechanically. It creates a little tornado you can move around each turn, sucking in large or smaller creatures that fail a strength save. While they're stuck in the vortex they take damage and are dragged higher into the air, and even if they succeed on their save they'll be launched in a random direction up to 180 feet away.

Sorcerer 14: Fans of Melt already know about Revelation in Flesh, it was her ultimate technique in the first build too. For the newbies, you can spend a bonus action and up to 4 sorcery points to transform for 10 minutes, picking one bonus for each point spent. In order of most to least in-character: Your body and equipment becomes pliable, letting you slip into 1 inch gaps and escape restraints and grapples with 5 feet of movement. You get a swimming speed of twice your walking speed, along with minor visual effects. You can see invisible creatures, and gain minor visual effects. You can fly and hover, with minor visual effects. Moving just about anywhere is a great capstone, and it's pretty cheap for 10 minutes of liquidity.

Pros and Cons (Compared to the original)

Pros:

Ironically, you're a lot more flexible than the original, with plenty of non-acid spells to use for damage variety, and other magical effects in case raw damage won't help the party.

You're also great at crowd control, in more ways than one. Use Enthrall or Enhance Ability + your performance proficiency to become the star of the show. Or use Watery Sphere or Whirlwind to keep crowds of minions from hurting the party.

Speaking of skills, let's keep doing that. Bards are good at skills, and lore bards are even better. With tons of proficiencies, half proficiency in everything else, and magical guidance and Enhance Ability giving you three rolls to get it right, you've got a ton of talent off the battlefield too.

Cons:

Unless you're using spells, you're a little slower than the OG Melt, and you're not much better at taking hits than she is, so keeping your distance is important.

We also dumped wisdom instead of using it for our AC, so you can get hacked pretty easily. Most computer programs don't react well with the real world, or water.

You're way less physical than the original, with less strength and dexterity, plus no weapon focus for melee fights. But hey, that's what you're controlling Kingprotea for, right?

#fgo #Fate Grand Order #D&D 5e #DND #Mysterious Alter Ego Λ #Meltryllis #Sorcerer #Bard

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