#ill try to check chat if anyone does join ;w;
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Aight this is the second time I watch it but I'm gonna do a commentary on the latest bad's lore stream! Just for funsies, I might have honestly already forgotten some stuff so I wanna keep my thought process :3 let's go, commentary under the cut.
There's also some small theories/analysis in some points but nothing too much, just me rambling cause pain.
The pre stream song. Faster and Bad never change please.
I love so so so much the ominous soundtracks he puts as background for lore man it's just so coooool.
Reality check pre/post lore my beloved 💜
that little meh eh eh. is everything
he's just on a boat at night and but can already see he's got shaders on, this means PRETTY VISUALS AHEAD. Also i really like bits beginning with the character alone heading towards their destined direction, it's just pleasing
HIM TAKING DOWN ANTI EGG POSTERS. KING SHIT
Can't believe I got to hear "muffinhead" in lore voice.
Not even inside the room and HOLY SHIT they covered it all with the red bricks block IM AAAAH IT'S SO PRETTY. Like before the vines were all put at random but now they're neatly placed and it's actually aesthetically pleasing? I love it
DANCEFLOOR DANCEFLOOR DANCEFLOOR
The table. is . so. is so . it's so prebby,,, help like i'd live there man
Bad being overwhelmed by the egg's voice and lowkey scared. FINE IM FINE
No other choice. And the way he repeated it like a mantra? Kind of like to convince himself? AHHH
SKEPPY. SKEPP
small,, small egg staircase
haha fuckign pain. p a i n. just pain it sounds a lot like Skeppy before actually stayed with Bad cause it annoyed him how much he wanted to hang out like old times,,,,, my heart pangs
IM JUST WORRIED ABOUT YOU
I CARE ABOUT YOU *passes out*
bad scared the egg is skeppy's bff now /j (have to joke through the pain,,)
BADBOY i swear to god he knows his audience. he just does.
Bad doing whatever he can to even just hang out a few minutes with skeppy. Bro, the tears inside
"I'm comfortable right here." "Skeppy I know you are-" THE WAY BAD'S VOICE BROKE HERE HOLY SHIT LEMME CLIP IT.
He talks to chat. HE TALKS TO CHAT THIS MEANS WE ARE CANON THUS we are either little angels or demons around him or a mix or, we're particles that make up Rat ♥
"All of this is for him" okay stab me next time it'll hurt less
BADBOY STARTING TO BE CONFLICTED BECAUSE HE NEVER HAS A FUCKING BREAK
s- w- skeppy kept the egg alive? okay so ive been thinking about the fact that skeppy became completely red and like wow what if it kinda is that hes literally become a small part of Egg? like, i wonder if someone breaks it, if he feels pain
Skeppy so dry with his responses. stop i will cry
bad. bad why are you bringing up selfies to a lore stream bad-
"why are you still talking to me" "okay..." stop stop PLEASE STOP-
smol growls, he's getting frustrated
idk why but skeppy talking about the perimeters made me laugh it was just funny how far away he was and just started talking about it randomly
"i think it looked a little bit better before" thoughts being thunk
"what's it gonna take for you to stop talking to me?" literally i am deceased s t o p
STOP STEPPIN ON THE MAGMA BLOCKS SIR YOU'RE HURTING
Bad shouldn't be so happy about just having "one last walk around" with skeppy so he "stops bothering" him tHIS HURTS SO MUCH the egg has fucked them up so much
Skeppy doesn't hear it huh? Maybe it whispers different things to everyone
"I like how it feels" nooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO STOP HURTING TOURSELF
so no dance? *slams phone on the ground*
When skeppy says his line about never seeing anything close to a party there, idk what it is about it but his tone just hits, man he's so good preesh
HE CALLED HIM ANT. BAD PLS YOUR BEING BAD AT NAMES IS SHOWING
"Oh my goodness you're going back to the egg" HE'S SO SAD. HE'S SO SAD CAUSE HE COULDNT KEEP HIM WITH HIM A LITTLE BIT LONGER HES S
"you know what? i invite you" i wanna read this in a certain way. The egg was feeling like bad was so frustrated he started doubting the egg, so it was like alright let's use skeppy to get it closer to I can manipulate this bad boy better :)) motherfuck
are they about to kiss-
egg cockblocker
"okay don't come back" end me rn
ngl when sapnap joined I got real scared for a moment.
"it's not about power! it's nor about control! i'm you friend skeppy!" "I mean ... you can think that" FUCK U NO IM NOT DEALING WITH THIS RN
"We're friends, right?"
"In your head we can be best friends, we can be whatever you want" BDI ANYONE??????? also whatever- whatever he wants? :eyes: okay sorry no ill see myself out
"We're m- we are friends sk-" M- MARRIED WAS HE GONNA SAY MARRIED DID HE PULL A QUACKITY OH MY GOD I HATE THIS GUY OH MY GOD /pos but also like in a bawling my eyes out way
the egg is more than just a friend? skep u good there pal do u have smth to tell us
"You don't know what it's like." OH HERE HE GOES. HERE HE GOES HERE IT COMES OH NO.
The way Bad stutters i really thought he was gonna say something REALLY IMPACTFUL
"I have done so much for you, for our friendship and now you're trying to tell me we're not friends anymore?" LEAVE ME ALONE
I JUST CAUGHT THE BLOOPER HE SAID ON ME INSTEAD OF HANG OUT WITH ME IM CRYING OH MY GOD BAD HOW DID U FUCK THAT UP oh my god I imagine him mentally going like oh my gosh out of all the things that could be messed up THAT WAS SO FUNNY
ahaha my dads are fighting help
"You think you've done anything? You seriously think that?" *looks at my fic where bad feels worthless because the egg said so* ahah... I'm sorry?
"You left me for a long, long long time before you even checked up on me, okay?" he's not wrong,,,, he's not wrong why does this hurt sm,,,,, "and now all of a sudden you care about me?" OH MY GOD PLEASE I HATE THIS EGG
I see them... i see them approaching the lava blocks..
"the past doesn't matter" the egg wanting to erase their relationship so much,,,, i wanna cry because then if bad doesn't have skeppy he just has nothing right and then,,, then he can be another empty vessel for the fucking egg I hate this mI hate this so much
Also!!! little things I noticed!! Bad taking away part of the vine and also mining a red block? Without being affected at all? MHHHH
"I just wanted us to hang out like we used to" BAD'S VOICE CRACKING AGAIN STOP I WILL CJRYSD
"I did all of this for you and I didn't want the egg to take that away" you see how fucking tragic this is. Like Skeppy sacrificed himself so his friend could stop being infected. Bad sacrificed literally the whole server himself included to get him back. And then it comes down to this. The egg separating them a thousand fucking miles away. I hate this it's so sad
the selfish bit please no stop
THE LAVA BAD THE LAVA PLEASE IT'S TOO CLOSE
the fucking shaking with rage thing got me BROOOO I LOVE WHEN BAD DOES THE LITTLE THINGS IN GAME
"IT'S JUST A STUPID EGG" FUCKING FINALLY YOU TELL HIM BAD but then oh no oh no would you look at that huh. cant fucking have shit in dsmp. the way he immediately just screams for him right after
YOU CAN HEAR THE TEARS IN HIS VOICE and also mine hi I'm sobbing again
BDI FUCKING CANON LET'S GOOOOOOO WE CALLED ITTTT
(Dreamscape?)Skeppy being actually concerned with him haha this doesn't hurt at all!!!
*stares at black screen* I'm fine.
Thank you for listening to my ramble I am hurting so much bestie
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what’s the stitch? | pt.1
on ao3
from the high school senior that brought you wanna chat? comes another chat fic that no one asked for
just so we're all on the same page, alya has the fox miraculous, nino the turtle, and chloe the bee. i latched onto this team of miraculous holders a while back and now i'm just throwing up random stuff. initially i wasn't going to write more than a small snip of this but @breeeliss is a horrible enabler (<3)
i'm still working on the dynamics for them, especially since they're still getting to know each other, so sorry if it's rough
anyway let's do this
18:23
Cat: What does this do?
Oh
COOL
Bee: what in fresh hell is this
Turtle: yo wassup this is rad
wait lemme see…
Fox: HELLA
Ladybug: Chat what the hell did you do
Cat: Hey don’t blame me for being bored
There are fun settings on these things and I wanted to explore them
Fox: this is rad as hECK
Bee: i hate you all
Fox: this is going to be lit
i cant believe i can text the crew through a weapon
the magic whatevers that created these things knew what was up
Turtle has changed their name to michael angelo
michael angelo: hell yeah
Cat: Whoa what we can do that!!
Bee: this is going to be the most obnoxious chat ever
i can feel it
let me leave
Cat has changed their name to :3
Bee: holy shit let me out
wait
why the hell don’t these things have emojis
i am personally offended
:3: Ah yes let me just call up the ancient gods and ask them to install emojis on our weapons
Bee: listen here you piece of shit
Fox has changed their name to foxy lady
Bee: can i give back my miraculous
i don’t want it anymore
foxy lady: this is the best thing to ever happen
michael angelo: aYO
:3: I love it
It’s like a less awful skype
Ladybug: Can we maybe try to keep this for talking about where akumas are?
:3: Hmmm
foxy lady: i mean we COULD
Bee has changed their name to beeutiful
beeutiful: ;*
michael angelo: yeah no way thats happening ladybug
:3: Its bonding!!!
Ladybug: Now I want to leave
:3: Awww join in on the fun my lady!
Please??? Team bonding
foxy lady: @chat do u know how 3 get youtube on these things
ive got videos to send
beeutiful: ummm what sort of videos?
foxy lady: ;)
michael angelo: if you send a meme ILL give up my miraculous
foxy lady: good
we dont need u
Ladybug: Did you say team bonding??
:3: Yes that’s exactly what this is
Duh
6:13
michael angelo: well shit i really hope your kwami alert you of messages or something
cause im actually going to use this the way its supposed to be used
akuma at eiffel tower
6:17
beeutiful: disgusting
i’ll be there in a minute
:3: You’ll BEE there?
beeutiful: im going to punt you off the tower
foxy lady: i ws going to tell u 2 shut up
unfortunate
wheres the bug @
michael angelo: um??? backup??????? please????
foxy lady: OH
right
omw
6:19
Ladybug: Ill be there in a sec
6:48
foxy lady: i cant believe u all bolted like that
i was gonna ask if we could do breakfast
Ladybug: I’m about to destransform, sorry!
Ill talk to you all later but really since my kwami can only tell me that I have a message but not whats in it please try not to talk here too much
I wont be able to tell whats important
:3: I can’t beelieve this
beeutiful: im literally going to rip your head off
foxy lady: everything is important
anyway food
i guess ill find some on my own then
on my own
pretending hes beside me
:’(
beeutiful: @ladybug if you figure out how to mute this please let me know because oh
my
god
michael angelo: bro im just gonna snag a bag of chips before class
:3: Healthy
michael angelo: what was the last thing you ate cat boy?
:3: You’re going to judge me
beeutiful: im always judging you
foxy lady: oooooo
michael angelo: what are you a health nut or osmething cn?
:3: Not by choice
foxy lady: unfortunate
michael angelo: alright next patrol were getting super cheap pizza
foxy lady: and fries
and milkshakes
and possibly also hamburgers
superheroing makes me hungry
beeutiful: ewwwww
foxy lady: dont like junk food???
beeutiful: no!!!
its greasy and disgusting and sooo bad for your skin
like who wants to deal with THAT
:3: Ok true
I don’t have time to deal with acne
foxy lady: u both have unfairly perfect skin
michael angelo: ^^
true tho
how do you manage that??
beeutiful: good genes and a fantastic skin care routine
sure i’m naturally gorgeous but it takes a little work to reach true perfection
:3: So many different types of scrubs and creams
So many that I could drown in them
And also makeup
Usually concealer and foundation every day
beeutiful: true
my contour btw? art
foxy lady: thats cool but u havent seen my cat eye
:3: ;)
michael angelo: yeahhh makeup isnt my jam
i suck at it
0/10 not attempting again
beeutiful: what!!!!
makeup is EVERYONES jam
i mean if you don’t like it whatever
but with practice and patience you too can look as good as moi
if you think you don’t look good with makeup on it’s just cause you’re not doing it right
trust me
foxy lady: yeah bro if we didnt have these masks id totally do u up during patrol one night
:3: Add that to the list of things to do if we ever reveal our identities
Makeovers
michael angelo: theres a list???
beeutiful: wait i thought we could never ever tell each other
ever
boss’ rules
:3: A cat boy can dream
foxy lady: do we think ladybug likes makeup
beeutiful: oh my god
the most important question
shit i’m about to detransform
anyway check out my contour next time we’re out because it’s flawless
michael angelo: im out too
ive been pushing it
later dudes
foxy lady: and then there were two
:3: Benefits of using catacylsm at the end I guess
foxy lady: :P
this miiiiight b difficult if we can only use it when transform
eh w/e
ill take what i can get
:3: Same honestly
17:34
foxy lady: im bored and my actual friends are busy
17:39
michael angelo: so we arent your friends then
beeutiful: i am not your friend
foxy lady: wow rude
michael angelo: what saving paris together doesnt make us friends?
beeutiful: as if!!
being my friend is a privilege
it’s like getting access to an exclusive club
foxy lady: soooooooooooo u dont have many friends then
beeutiful: fuck you i have plenty of friends
:3: Children please
Ladybug is literally going to have my head
michael angelo: broski you were talking wiht us earlier
:3: Yeah but I didn’t have her glare burning holes into my soul the entire time
foxy lady: UR!!!!!!!!WITH LADYBUG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:3: Yeah of course I’m with Ladybug?
beeutiful: and why exactly were we not invited??
:3: Parents need alone time sometimes
michael angelo: oh my god
foxy lady: #rude
#betrayal
#urnotmyrealdad
#ettuchatnoir
#whentheydontloveuback
beeutiful: stop before i hunt you down and stop you myself
foxy lady: #fucku
michael angelo: question
is lb seriously that annoyed
:3: She’s not thrilled
Hmmm how to
Got it
:3 has sent a photo
[selfie of Chat Noir smiling and holding up a peace sign with an unamused Ladybug in the background]
michael angelo: well thats a look i never want to face head on
foxy lady: rip u
id face it down if it meant i got to spend more time w ladybug
beeutiful: fangirl much
foxy lady: oh shut up i kno ur the same
beeutiful: oh do you????
foxy lady: ummm yeaH
i remember our first day
do u
beeutiful: shit
michael angelo: i like to block most of that day from my memories
beeutiful: no one asked you shellhead
:3: Children please
Wait really?
michael angelo: ehhh i mean it was really cool and life changing and all that shit
but also
i embarrassed myself in front of two of the most awesome people ever so
yeah
beeutiful: kiss up
michael angelo: listen my dude
i was not ready to be a superhero
before this the most exercise i got was climbing the stairs to my apartment and the occasional run from akumas
Ladybug: To be fair
Chat and I werent ready either
foxy lady: !!!!!!!!!!
she speaks!!!
ok but ive been prepping to b a superhero since i was like 4
beeutiful: same actually
:3: I watched way too much Sailor Moon not to be ready
But I still wasn’t ready
Lots of face planting
Ladybug: It gets easier and you have chat and I for help
You dont have to figure this all out on your owns
:3: True
Doing it by ourselves was unfurrtunate
beeutiful: moment ruined
foxy lady: im tearing up
thank u
i feel loved
michael angelo: ok so who wants to teach me tricks to get out of class and work for akuma attacks because bru h
:3: Uhhhh
Ladybug: Um
:3: You’re on your own good luck
beeutiful: wow you’re a great mentor
we’re so lucky to have you
Ladybug: Be creative in your lies and dont repeat the same ones too often???
But also dont get too extravagant because then its a mess and gets out of hand
Now stop messaging here its annoying!!!!!!!!!!!
19:03
:3: Does anyone have cheese?
Ladybug: Chat if this isnt relevant I will end you
:3: I swear it is!
beeutiful: umm yes why??
:3: I need some
We’re out and I didn’t realize
Could you meet me somewhere with it?
beeutiful: i guess if it’s that important?
what kind
:3: It is that important
Anything
If you have camembert that
But anything
michael angelo: how is this relevant
:3: Grumpy hungry kwami
beeutiful: i have camembert
how do you not have food for your kwami?
:3: It’s been a long week sue me
Tower in ten?
beeutiful: i can’t believe i’m doing this but yes
you owe me whiskers
19:11
foxy lady: thisll be the weirdest brush contact paris has ever seen
#marinette dupain cheng#adrien agreste#nino lahiffe#chloe bourgeois#alya cesaire#my fics#whats the stitch#this is ridiuclous om gody
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Church Assassin
//You didn’t think I’d forget about Mirza, did you? (Truth is I almost did...^^;; that’s what notes are for!)
Those black eyes held no emotion as the assassin stared, the bloodied mace in his hands now transforming into a frightening morning star strewn with enormous spikes. One hand was still trapped beneath Mirza’s foot, and her gun had been lost somewhere during the scuffle; she was essentially helpless and entirely at the mercy of this Church assassin, and it didn’t seem like he was in the mood to be merciful.
“P-Please, I-I-I haven’t—I’m not, I’m not a beast...j-just let me go! I swear, I-I won’t, I won’t bother the group anymore; please, please...!” Her lips trembled and before she knew it tears were falling, Sio hiccuping with fear as the Bloodletter pulsed wickedly, as if sensing her tainted blood. “I-I don’t, want to die...!”
“...Alas, I’m afraid not, my dear. Sweet as you are, I know what happens to those who turn...” Those spikes were now an inch from her face. “Just look at how eager my Bloodletter is; it smells your blood, yearns to cleanse it. The further along the mutations, the more it hungers.” A spike pierced out right next to her eye, splitting a few hairs and leaving just the slightest red line on her cheek. “But for you, I promise to make it as painless as possible.”
Painless? That thing? Her eyes slid over to those sharp spikes, coated with the blood of countless past victims. If she weren’t about to be one herself, the girl would’ve snorted in response. She futilely tried to free her arm in a panic as the assassin took a step forward.
“P-Please, don’t...!”
“Think again, wanker!” There was an explosion of fire and glass, Sio immediately ducking back as Mirza cursed, now busy trying to put out the fire on his clothes, only to be clobbered by the blunt end of the Stakedriver.
“Fucking bastard; Sio, you all right? Tell, you keep an eye on that asshole; if he tries anything funny, put an arrow through him. Or two,” Adam muttered angrily, making sure Mirza was out cold before helping the girl up. “Sio!”
“Adam, y-you...I...you’re bleeding!” She winced as the hunter gently checked over her injuries, seemingly not caring about the puncture wounds in his own torso as he bandaged her fingers into a crude splint. “M, Mirza, I didn’t...he was here the whole time...!”
“Yeh, I should’ve known he’d get desperate enough t’ pull somethin’ stupid like this,” Adam’s eyebrows furrowed with anger, but mostly at himself. “Honestly, I fucked up; shouldn’t’ve left ‘im alone without doing anythin’...” Those slim fingers in his hands, now bloodied and mangled from Mirza’s cruel treatment; blood boiled in his veins, but Adam knew he had to keep a clear mind if they wanted to get out of this without anymore collateral. “I’ll be completely honest: in my opinion we should just get rid of him...permanently.” Sio gave a small gasp, but Adam didn’t seem deterred. “He’s already revealed his intentions, which is to murder anybody who might even turn into a beast—couldn’t be more like Geronimo and just exterminate actual beasts, that cunt. Besides, it’s not like the rest of the group has any strong feelings about him anyway.”
“B, But, if we do, g...get rid of him, how are we going to explain his disappearance to the group?”
“Uh, squirt? Last I checked, beast huntin’ was an extremely dangerous profession where even the best can get killed at any second; I seriously doubt anybody’d bat an eyelash if we just say he met some misfortune with a beast,” Adam raised an eyebrow, still surprised by the girl’s naïveté at times. “‘Sides, it’s not like we announced he was comin’ with us or anything...hunters come and go. It’s just par for course.”
“I, I see, but still...” Even though Adam made very good points, and certainly she did not want to be around Mirza ever again, there just seemed to be something...unsavory about murdering someone, especially one who’d helped them, even if it was a ruse. ‘Then again, it’s not like I’ve hesitated when we’re fighting rival hunters...so why am I conflicted now?’
“A-Anyway, you’re hurt! That was from...MIrza, wasn’t it?”
Adam nodded wordlessly, hissing slightly as Sio now helped patch him up in return. Deep, bloody holes that she could easily stick a finger through...shuddering, the huntress tried not to think too hard about how it would’ve felt had it not been for Adam’s timely actions.
A groan made both of them jump, Mirza regaining consciousness but now firmly hog-tied and guarded by an expressionless, stoic Tell, who also had an arrow trained right on his heart.
“My my...how the tables have turned. You surprise me, Muirhead.” Despite him now being the victim, the assassin did not seem concerned at all. “Perhaps it was you I underestimated, and not the girl.”
“Shut th’ fuck up; I’ve no interest in talking to you.”
The cursing didn’t throw Mirza off at all; if anything it only served to amuse him further. “Oh? Well that’s too bad, considering I’ve an interest in chatting with you...especially you, Miss Ogura. That leering grin, and even though there was no way he could get out of those knots and Tell’s watchful eye, still Sio shivered as she tried hard not to turn away.
“Wha, what...do you want? Y-You said, the Healing Church...you, work for them...don’t you?”
“Correct; I am employed by them to hunt down the infected who are about to turn...so that we may quarantine this disease before it spreads.” His eyes narrowed slightly, as if recalling some long-lost memory. “It’s a shame really, but someone has to do the dirty work. Oh, all those good hunters...but in the end, what matters if they’re destined to become beasts? A monster is a monster, in the end.”
“Tch, load a good that’ll do you at this point,” Adam muttered darkly, still refusing to engage the other man. Perhaps when the scourge first appeared, an aggressive quarantine campaign may have had some effect. But now, with most of the population already half-beast... “I don’t believe it. Th’ Church has little power left at this point, so there’s no real reason you’d keep working for ‘em. Unless you really are a nutter...”
“My, Muirhead, I thought we weren’t going to converse?” The assassin gave a light chuckle. “You just can’t resist knowing, can you? Both of you...and perhaps a few others, that seek to know the Truth...” He gave another laugh and Adam scowled, wondering if perhaps Mirza truly had gone mad, after all this time.
“Bear in mind. Some places are better left untouched, and some secrets are better left alone....only fools do brazenly roam..."
The two left Mirza tied up, still under Tell’s gaze as they discussed in a more private corner. As soon as they disappeared from the assassin’s view the huntress dropped to her knees, shaking even as Adam pulled her close.
“Th-that, that was...h-he...” She didn’t even finish her words before tears rolled down her face, shoulders hunched over as small sobs wracked her body; the shock wearing off as the realization of how close she came to dying, and her own condition, hit her full on. There were too many things happening, as if she didn’t already have enough to worry about; now there was an assassin to deal with, and the sinking horror that her illness was further along than any of them realized. “I, I, I-I don’t...I don’t want to die!”
“Shh love, there there...” Adam patted her hair and murmured soothing words in her ear. “You’re not gonna die; I’ll protect you, I swear. Remember, I promised you this night will end...and I aim to see it through.”
Sio nodded, throat too tight to say anything and so she could only nod weakly. “I, I know...but still, sometimes it’s just so hard...!” She was so tired of everything: the unending horrors of Yharnam, hostile hunters and mysterious beings that might as well be gods...all on top of keeping a close watch on her blood sickness that was creeping ever closer. She leaned against Adam’s chest, relishing in a few minutes of peace as she listened to his heartbeat while he rubbed a soothing hand along her back.
Still, no matter how bad she felt or how tempting it was to just close her eyes right there, Sio knew they couldn’t leave such matters unresolved. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to sit up, wiping away the last of the tear stains. “So, about Mirza...do we really want to just...kill him?”
“Yeh really still hung up on that?” Adam cast her a curious glance. “Well, I mean...is there some reason you want to keep him alive? Is it sympathy?”
She didn’t want to admit it, but Sio supposed that was part of it. “W-Well, maybe...I guess it just feels...wrong to outright kill someone, even if he does want to kill me...I don’t know, maybe it’s because we already worked together before, it just feels...” She glanced at Adam helplessly, unable to put her emotions into words, but Adam simply nodded in understanding. “B-Besides, I think he might be a valuable source of information.”
“...I understand where you’re coming from, and yeh, I’ll admit at one point I did consider him a comrade, even. But this,” he took one more look at her bandaged fingers and shook his head, “I can’t forgive him for that. Even if we need more info. Not to mention logistically speaking, how the hell are we going to keep him from tryin’ to go after you? It’ll be impossible to keep an eye on him every second...”
“We won’t have to...” Those emeralds stared at her in confusion, but in Sio’s mind the plan was already formulating. “No, if I play this right...we won’t even have to worry about him turning on us.”
“Uh, if you don’t mind me asking—and excuse my language—but how the bloody hell d’you propose we do that?”
Those wide maroons, still shiny with tears but now set in a determined glance. “We’ll just convince him to join our side. Abandon the Church’s goals. Yes I know, it won’t be easy—but I have a feeling, he’s not actually that loyal to the Church. He just...agreed to do it because of some other reason...which I don’t know, but I bet I can fish it out of him...”
“I—uh—ah, hell...y’know what, I’ll just trust you on this. I don’t like it one bit, but if anyone’s got the brains t’ make this work it’s you.” Sighing heavily, Adam could only nod in agreement. “Still, that doesn’t mean I’m going to let him wander wherever he pleases. If I feel we can’t trust him at any point, then that’s it; no more second chances. Fair enough?”
Sio nodded. “Fair. A-And, thanks, Adam...for always watching my back.”
He didn’t say anything, only pulling her close for one last embrace before both of them nodded and headed back, Sio taking a deep breath to steel herself.
“Ah, and the lovebirds return. Needed a moment to yourselves? How sweet.” Adam growled in the back of his throat but Sio cut him off with a single arm.
“Mahesh Mirza. I don’t like you, and clearly you want to kill me, so let’s get to the point: give up fighting in the name of the church, and really join our group. There’s no reason for you to keep trying for your goals at this point. The Healing Church is as good as dead...and if it’s infected hunters you’re after, well we’ll be seeing plenty of them.”
At this the assassin threw his head back in pure laughter. “Bargaining? Really? I half-expected you two to come in and behead me without another word—and judging from Muirhead’s face, that’s what he has in mind. But you, Ogura...you’re even willing to give your enemies a second chance?” He shook his head in amusement. “I can’t tell if you’re a soft-hearted fool or an idiot savant.”
Sio gritted her teeth but forced herself to not give into Mirza’s taunts. “You’re right, we can just kill you right here and nobody would even care. But you don’t actually want to die...at least, not like this—a boring, pointless death, not even able to fight back. That’s why you go out of your way to specifically hunt those who haven’t turned yet; regular monsters are too ordinary.” Mirza hadn’t said a thing but she could’ve sworn his eyes were changing.
“You enjoy the chase; the thrill, the challenges...actually, it wouldn’t be inaccurate to that it’s not the Church that’s using you, but you’re using them...isn’t that right?” Sio didn’t know where this strange, new confidence was coming from, but somehow the more she spoke, the less she was afraid; even daring to saunter up to the very man whom tried to decapitate her with a knife. “In fact, I know that feeling too...the tension when you’re just one step away from victory, or death...that’s what you live for. That’s why you came with us, and bided your time.”
Mirza laughed in return. “Oh, and here I thought I was doing such a good job hiding my intentions,” he replied sarcastically. “But then again, I figured you were different...not just your blood sickness, but you yourself...you too, enjoy the hunt more than you care to admit. You hunt not only to find a cure, but because you genuinely relish the bloodshed...don’t you, Miss Ogura?”
Sio’s heart thumped so loudly she was sure everyone could hear it, but outwardly her face betrayed no other emotion. Mirza wasn’t the first to point it out, and she herself admitted many times already she did enjoy the hunt; the way it made her feel alive like nothing else.
“Yeah, and why not? If I’m going to be trapped in this damn nightmare, might as well get some sort of satisfaction, right?” As guilty as she felt, somehow just admitting that yes, she did enjoy a good fight, lessened the anxiety that had been eating at her all this time. Was it so wrong? She’d always been different her whole life, the blood sickness notwithstanding—and despite all the terrors, hardships and obstacles, she felt that she belonged at last, even if it was with a rag-tag band of what were essentially marauders. “It’s true, I have the blood sickness...but I haven’t turned, not yet—despite what your Bloodletter may sense, there’s still time...you would waste such an opportune target just for the sake of precaution?” She tossed her head with a snide look. “Really, given what you’ve just told me, I half-expected you to keep quiet until I literally started sprouting claws and fangs. That would be a real fight...not something pathetic like this.” The edge of her spear just grazed his chin. “You scared that if you don’t kill me now, I’ll be stronger than you right when I’m about to turn?”
The assassin scoffed. “Hardly; an inexperienced huntress like you ought to watch her mouth around the Church...” But the slight tension in his voice did not escape her. “Those who are infected need to be stopped before they can endanger others.”
“Right. Uh huh.” The huntress rolled her eyes. “But anyway, since you don’t seem keen on changing your mind, I guess we’ll just have to get rid of you.” She casually turned her head back at Adam, who wasted no time in charging up the Stakedriver. “Too bad, Mirza...I have to admit, I was kind of looking forward to that fight...” Sio licked her lips as she sauntered away, letting Adam take the lead.
“...Some places are better left untouched, and some secrets are better left alone. Only fools do brazenly roam." The Stakedriver was a second away from being fired when Mirza spoke. Adam didn’t move a muscle, instead waiting for Sio’s command.
“...Go on, I’m listening.” Sio waved Adam off.
“If you’re that determined to prove me wrong, Miss Ogura...then I’ll tell you. That which you seek.” The assassin’s eyes glittered, as if in a fevered madness. “What the Church wrought, and how this all began...if you can slay the Nightmare, I’ll take it as a sign that you actually know what you’re doing.” Mirza laughed. “Hell, I’ll even join your merry little band, if you so wish...”
“The...Nightmare?” Yharnam and its obsession with blood, dreams, monsters and gods... Sio closed her eyes briefly. “And where is this place that only fools go looking for?”
There was a shuffling noise, Adam readying his Stakedriver as Mirza managed to wriggle a hand into a pocket (despite the tight ropes), but it was only a toss a small vial of something towards them, the glass container rolling to a stop just at her feet. “You’ll need this to enter.” Sio picked up the small jar, only shuddering slightly as she made out the bloodied, single eyeball suspended within it, its pupil muddied and sunken. “When a hunter becomes drunk on blood, and starts turning into a beast...they get taken by the Nightmare, destined to wander forever, engaged in an endless hunt.” Another chuckle from the assassin, as if he were truly enjoying himself for the first time.
“Yours will look the same, Ogura, soon enough. It is a fate that no Hunter can escape"
Sio said nothing as Mirza continued to laugh, instead quietly clenching her fist around the small glass vial. No matter the odds, she would not let herself succumb to what many other hunters before her had. “Come on, let’s go then.” Without even a backwards glance at Mirza, who was still tied up (though she had a feeling he wouldn’t be for long), both men instantly followed her towards the lamp.
“Don’t forget, I’ll know whether or not you’ve slain the Nightmare...best be heading to the Cathedral Ward now, if you don’t want your pretty little eyes to end up the same...” The laugh continued to echo after them as they slowly vanished.
Nobody said a word after that, but after they landed with a swirl back in the Dream, it was all Sio could do to not stumble to the nearest crevice and collapse into exhaustion. The rest of the group was mercifully elsewhere, only Hunter giving a slight greeting upon their return and a quip about everyone else wandering in the Nightmare Frontier.
“Sio, you aren’t serious...” Adam followed her into what was now considered her private little corner inside the building, behind the counter where runes where engraved. “You’re really going to trust that cunt’s words?”
The huntress heaved a sigh as she shucked off her overcoat, careful not to bend her fingers too much. “I know Adam, I know...trust me, normally I’d be getting the hell away from whatever Mirza’s trying to play at, but somehow I just...” She gave a frustrated sigh, before sitting down in the only chair with her eyes closed. “...Even though it’s only a hunch...I just can’t shake this feeling he’s telling the truth; that there is something more out there,” her bandaged fingers toyed with the glass vial containing the bloodied eye, “something that will help us come closer to understanding this whole dream...and therefore ending it...”
There was a long silence, only the fire crackling until there was the soft rustling of cloth, Sio turning around to see Adam shed his outer gear as well and sitting on the floor. “...You know, out of all my years hunting, I don’t think I’ve met another hunter quite like you. I-In a good way of course,” he stammered, Sio’s steely gaze turning on him with a raised brow. “It’s not that I don’t trust you; you’ve proven plenty of times that you know what you’re doing. But, I feel like each time we try to come closer to finding out whatever truth there is...the more peril you put yourself in, “ he whispered softly, gently stroking her bandaged fingers and Sio found herself shivering slightly. “Not to mention, we both know you’re on a time limit; and I don’t fancy finding out what that limit is.”
“I-I...” She couldn’t say anything else after that; He had a point—was if her wild goose chases to find the truth would be just that: a wild goose chase? Wasting time looking for something that may not even exist, instead of trying to end this dream and cure your sickness... And yet the despite all the evidence against it, her internal compass still pulled her towards it; like a mysterious beacon, whenever she thought about seeking the truth her soul felt it was the right thing to do.
“...That being said, I already promised I would help you see this night through, to the very end.” Somehow Sio found herself sitting in his lap, though she didn’t seem to remember how or when that happened. “And if that means going to the ends of this nightmare to do so...then I will follow without hesitation.” Despite the seriousness, his eyes were smiling at her, in that very peculiar way that only he could do. “I trust your judgement, Sio.”
Sio felt her face flushing, and it definitely was not from the fire. Even though she and Adam were considerably less prickly with each other now, it was still rare for him to genuinely complement and praise her skills at such length—and even from before, when all her classmates had made fun of her strange fascinations, and only Asao stood by her. She barely managed to stammer out her thanks, laughing nervously about how she appreciated his loyalty when he simply turned her face towards his and kissed her.
It wasn’t the same as their first kiss, when it had been a volatile combination of pent-up frustrations and desire; this one was much softer, warmer and comforting, like the tight embraces she’d come to cherish. Both her hands wound behind his broad shoulders, fingers threading through those fine strands of silver that felt like silk between her scarred fingers. His breath was pleasantly warm against her skin, Sio sighing as Adam pulled her a little deeper into his arms. Without the bulk from their coats, she was able to feel more his warmth; unconsciously she pressed herself against his well-built chest, shifting her position as she felt fingers slowly undo the top buttons of her shirt.
Normally there was no way either of them would risk such scandalous behavior in an open area, but Sio reasoned she deserved a break after so many streaks of bad luck. Not to mention everyone else save for Hunter and Tell were out, and those two weren’t the type to nose around, thankfully. She heard Adam murmur something about maybe stopping before they got too carried away but she shook her head and shushed him with another kiss, this one deeper than the first one and certainly more passionate. He seemed to take that hint, brushing her strands from her cheek as his tongue slowly swept across her lips to ask for permission.
She knew nothing about relationships or marriage, or even courting—but she did know the feeling of warmth, the pleasant tingles rushing through her body as both of them became more entwined with each other. The collar of his shirt was undone, exposing a sliver of heated skin she pressed her palm against, relishing both the heat and the steady thumping of his heartbeat. His lips were now tracing her delicate jaw, Sio gasping as it brushed against a sensitive spot and her grasp tightened; there was a low chuckle from the man at her reactions.
We probably should stop...but somehow, I can’t... Her vision was hazy as he traced shapes through her shirt, a sudden bloom of heat sinking low into her stomach—a new and intense feeling, Sio getting restless from the heat building up throughout her body. It held the same intensity as the thrill of a fight, but it mingled with her desire for him; a strange yearning that made her want to bury herself in him.
“Eager, aren’t we?” Another low chuckle and Sio panted from the warmth of Adam’s hands as they dipped underneath her un-tucked shirt and smoothed across her stomach. “We should probably stop...”
“Ah...I don’t, see you stopping anytime soon,” she breathed against his ear, unconsciously grinding her hips downward to soothe the heat that did not seem to be going away. Each movement sent delicious tingles up and down her spine, Adam groaning very softly as he also starting moving in sync with her. “B-Besides, I thought you trusted my judgement...”
They were both panting now, hips rocking together in some sort of clumsy rhythm but neither could stop. What began as something to quench that heat only seemed to be fanning the flames hotter, it seemed; Sio found herself bracing herself against his shoulders, using them as leverage as the pace increased yet the knot inside her stomach only grew tighter.
‘What is this feeling...I don’t know what’s going on, but it feels so good...!’ She relished the friction from the rough cloth rubbing between her legs with each movement...it made her want to simultaneously curl her toes and arch her back. Everything felt so hot, as if she was on the brink of breaking through something...whatever it was.
“S-Sio...I-I’m serious, we should...really stop...” Adam was panting as fast as her now, his own face flushed a deep pink while his hands gripped her slender hips. “Even though it feels...amazing...with you...” He pressed their foreheads together, those deep emeralds reflecting her own eyes back into her.
“Nnng...I, I know...b-but, I just, can’t...ah, wh-what is this...I’ve never, felt it before...” Pure, scintillating pleasure from his touch—she’d never been this close with anyone, physically or otherwise, and the fervor from their little session was almost overwhelming. There was a sort of urgency added to the flames now, as if she had to reach this one point now, causing her to gasp and buck her hips unsteadily as she nearly let herself go to this hedonistic pleasure.
“S-Sio! You—!” Her quickening pace did not go unnoticed by the silver-haired man, who couldn’t even finish his sentence before roughly grabbing her hips, almost slamming himself into her as she couldn’t help but cry out. “Seriously—!”
“N-No, please, I’m...c, close...to, s, something...” Yes, she was almost there...just a little more, just a little faster, and the end of this teetering tightrope she was walking across would be in reach... “Ah, Adam...!”
The resounding clatter of throwing knives dropping on the floor shattered whatever nirvana Sio was about to achieve in her pleasure-filled haze. Both of them froze at the commotion, only to see a very sheepish-looking Hunter looking away in embarrassment.
“Och, sorry ‘bout that...didn’t mean t’ interrupt...oy now, dinnae ye two be givin’ me tha’ look! T’was a right accident, that was. ‘Sides, not like I saw no nothin’...though at the rate ye two were carryin’ on...” Hunter shook his head and gave a low whistle. “Be grateful the place’s empty as it is. This building ain’t exactly the place I’d chose fer a tryst, but eh, guess ye take what ye can get.”
And with that the surgeon placed all his knives into the storage box this time, and strolled out without another glance back, leaving the two of them staring at the floor in an awkward silence. All the passion she’d been experiencing just seconds earlier was completely dead, Sio now feeling a mixture of embarrassment and frustration at having come so close—if only Hunter had come in a few seconds later—
“Well, squirt, guess we should’ve stopped, ‘ey?” Adam had a roguish grin on his face, still flushed from their activities. “Just kiddin’; wasn’t like I wanted it to end, either... He gave a pained groan as Sio reluctantly pried herself off his lap. “Well, not like this, anyway...”
“A, Adam...” Her voice came out as a squeak, Sio suddenly feeling incredibly shy and embarrassed now that her mind was recalling what exactly just transpired. Going at it like a pair of animals in heat...grimacing, she mentally berated herself for letting her base wants get the better of her, especially in a time and place like this. “I-I, I’m, sorry...”
“Hey, don’t be sorry; ‘s not like I regret anything,” he gave her head a playful ruffle, “an’ from the looks of it, you don’t either, yeh?” He winked and Sio felt herself turn even redder. “Though I gotta say, I definitely wasn’t expecting you to be so...well, aggressive...but I like that, this...duality of yours...it’s what makes you special.”
Adam smoothed out his clothes, before helping her up and Sio could only blush and mumble shyly as she buttoned her shirt up. Seriously, what the heck had that been about? ‘It’s like that time I almost lost control, after Logarius...except this time I actually did lose control...’ But there was no denying it had been pleasurable, and quite so, at that. Even with the lust fading, still the warm crevice between her thighs tingled ever-so-slightly whenever she thought back to the heat of the moment, when they were tangled together and moving in sync to reach whatever goal it was...
“Anyway, don’t dwell on it too much; Hunter won’t say anything, you know that.” Adam was putting on his overcoat again, looking and acting as if nothing had happened at all. “Speaking of which...to that place Mirza was talking about—through the Cathedral Ward?” Sio nodded. “I have a feeling, this ‘Nightmare’ he’s talking about...it won’t be easy to defeat. An’ if we’re really going on this wild goose chase, then I don’t know about you, but I’d like some backup; and honestly, I can’t think of anything better than our original trio, yeh?
The ‘original’ three, just her, Adam and Hunter...Sio felt herself smiling at the idea, nodding silently as she gathered up her equipment and the two went to find the surgeon, Sio patting the vial in her pocket on last time.
#documentation#hunt or be hunted#//updates the most recently updated fic#//instead of the oldest one#//WHOOPS#//what can i say it's got the current momentum
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Transcript: Ask the UXperts: How Psychology and Neuroscience Can Support Design — with Susan Weinschenk
Susan Weinschenk joined us in our Slack channel yesterday in what was one of the most popular sessions that I’ve run to date. She did a stellar job of keeping up with the quick-fire questions and the hour flew by.
The session marked the culmination of our theme for November – how psychology and neuroscience help us design for people. We used Susan’s book 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People as the inspiration for our discussions so it was a fitting way to end the month.
If you didn’t make the session today because you didn’t know about it, make sure you join our community to get updates of upcoming sessions.
If you’re interested in seeing what we discussed, or you want to revisit your own questions, here is a full transcript of the chat.
Transcript
hawk
2017-11-28 23:00
Ok, let’s get this show on the road
hawk
2017-11-28 23:01
First up, thanks to you all for joining us today. I’m super pumped about this session – I’m a huge fan of @susanweinschenk’s work and I’ve really enjoyed reading her book this month
hawk
2017-11-28 23:01
(for those of you that aren’t aware, we used Susan’s book _100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People_ as the basis of our theme for November)
hawk
2017-11-28 23:02
And a very big thanks for you @susanweinschenk for taking the time this evening to answer our questions
hawk
2017-11-28 23:02
It’s an honour to host you here today
hawk
2017-11-28 23:02
So for the formal intro:
hawk
2017-11-28 23:02
Susan Weinschenk has a Ph.D. in Psychology, and is the Chief Behavioral Scientist and CEO at The Team W, Inc, as well as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Wisconsin.
hawk
2017-11-28 23:02
Susan consults on with Fortune 1000 companies, start-ups, governments and non-profits, and is the author of several books, including 100 Things Every Designer Needs To Know About People, 100 MORE Things Every Designer Needs To Know About People and How To Get People To Do Stuff. Susan is co-host of the HumanTech podcast, and writes her own blog and a column for Psychology Today online.
hawk
2017-11-28 23:03
If you haven’t read any of her work, I highly recommend that you do. Her writing style is very easily digestible.
hawk
2017-11-28 23:03
So Susan, over to you. Will you please give us a bit of an intro to the topic, which is _How Psychology and Neuroscience Can Support Design_
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:04
Hi Everyone.
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:04
Glad to be here with you! From Wisconsin USA
davidbaird
2017-11-28 23:04
Welcome Susan
cmcneil
2017-11-28 23:05
BIG fan. Long time listener. First time caller.
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:05
Well, basically I’m ready to talk about anything to do with the intersection of brain and behavioral science, people, technology, and design!
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:05
(or anything else you want to ask me that you think i might know the answer to!)
hawk
2017-11-28 23:06
Well that makes it easy. QUESTIONS ARE GO…
charles
2017-11-28 23:06
I am curious to know if you are aware of any behavioral mimicry being applied with AI and if it crosses the uncanny valley
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:06
ooh, starting with a BIG question!
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:06
I don’t know of anyone using mimicry with AI, but they might be
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:07
Any of the techniques to try to make machines more humanlike you have to watch out for the uncanny valley.
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:07
If it’s TOO human like it bugs us.
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:07
If it’s not human like ENOUGH it bugs us
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:07
we have pretty narrow tolerance
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:08
The AI and robots I’ve seen make me think that the behavioral scientists haven’t gotten all that involved, but i could be wrong.
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:08
it’s typical for new technology — the technology part comes first and the human part comes later
jacqui_dow5
2017-11-28 23:09
I’m wondering if you have any insights on how the observation during a usability test will affect the results? I do usability testing both remotely and bringing people into our lab but have always wondered if they are really reacting and acting how they would if they werent being observed?
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:09
The observation is going to affect them. But it might not effect them a lot
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:10
That’s why the skill of the tester is so important.
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:10
There are many subtle ways the observer can effect the results.
jacqui_dow5
2017-11-28 23:11
What sort of things should we look out for to stop us affecting the results?
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:11
and not so subtle too… i’ve seen testers that nod too much, interrupt too much, tap their pen on the table, sigh, and start scribbling or typing manically after the user takes an action
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:11
I suggest you record YOU and watch the videos with an experienced person who can point out what you are doing that might affect the results
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:12
You can also set up camera feeds and so and leave the room
jacqui_dow5
2017-11-28 23:12
ooh good idea, we often end up in the videos but not so much on purpose
uxresearchguy
2017-11-28 23:12
Hi and often tested with a moderator and separate note taker (or Observers logging things a la Dana Chisnells techniques) to maintain attention and listening
sara.hemmer
2017-11-28 23:13
Nice and agree about the observation and interruptions. But how do you check all biases at the door. So many are intrensic
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:13
you can’t check all of them, but you can try as much as possible. Watch other people run a test and learn from them, record yourself.
jacqui_dow5
2017-11-28 23:13
yes, we try to avoid the moderator taking notes, and have observers in a separate room for this purpose :slightly_smiling_face:
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:13
it helps if you are NOT testing your own design.
kiell
2017-11-28 23:13
hi! late to the party but here from Minnesota, USA
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:13
being an uninterested party helps a lot
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:14
i take on the mindset of a scientist running an experiment.
ashleamckay
2017-11-28 23:14
Hey Susan, love your work! I was diagnosed as autistic just under two years ago and I’d love to hear your thoughts on how we as UXers can help people understand and empathise with diversity that they can’t see? How can I help people understand that my differently wired brain is very real, permanent and not actually a bad thing? Thank you :slightly_smiling_face:
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:14
i don’t know what is going to happen and my job is just to observe and record
sara.hemmer
2017-11-28 23:14
That is helpful. I can avoid expectations, but other biases are so subtle. . .
davidbaird
2017-11-28 23:15
Given that most personalities fall into basic categories, does this affect your research (i.e knowing that people will have certain tendencies for behaviour).
Openness
Conscientiousness
Extraversion
Agreeableness
Neuroticism
uxresearchguy
2017-11-28 23:15
great and getting recordings audio transcribed for analysis helps in some cases too
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:15
Ashlea — back to the video idea… i find that if people can see and “meet” people (even if only on video) that interact differently that often helps them and reminds them that not everyone is the same.
davidbaird
2017-11-28 23:15
Sorry if that interupted others questions. Ill wait. !
flaxenink
2017-11-28 23:16
question: Are they any typical behaviors among users for a basic testing? like we have for design patterns?
hawk
2017-11-28 23:16
@davidbaird It’s all good – I’m queuing questions
bdevilliers
2017-11-28 23:17
Hi from France, a bit late too :slightly_smiling_face:
jacqui_dow5
2017-11-28 23:18
We record everything using Morae so we can watch back and make more notes but don’t tend to do full transcripts due to time constraints
uxresearchguy
2017-11-28 23:18
hopefully generates empathy
trh20
2017-11-28 23:18
Hi from Cleveland, Ohio!
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:19
Ashlea: I know that autism can be difficult for many, but for many it is more of a difference than a problem. Brain science is showing us that the brain is much more flexible than we thought, and there is research to show that our brains are changing in response to our technology and our environment. Some people with autism are able to see patterns much better than those without. Microsoft has an entire department for pattern work where they tend to hire people with autism.
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:19
@davidbaird Given that most personalities fall into basic categories, does this affect your research (i.e knowing that people will have certain tendencies for behaviour).
Openness
Conscientiousness
Extraversion
Agreeableness
Neuroticism
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:19
I don’t really take much stock in designing for personality traits.
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:19
there is so much individual difference in this area, that it’s hard to design for
trh20
2017-11-28 23:20
I like what I’m hearing about autism being different!
anapaulafaria.design
2017-11-28 23:20
Susan technology is helping us measuring emotions. What tools do u recommend? Any thoughts about this subject? Tks!
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:20
with the exception that if you KNOW that you are designing an app for neurotic people, then that would be something you could take into account in your design.
trh20
2017-11-28 23:20
Instead of an”problem”
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:21
many personality traits are situational anyway, and can change depending on mood, time of day, environment and so on
cmcneil
2017-11-28 23:21
Is there anything in your previous books that you would revise, with regard to the replication crisis?
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:21
hawk [5:16 PM]
@flaxenink: Are they any typical behaviors among users for a basic testing? like we have for design patterns?
rebecator
2017-11-28 23:21
Hello, Susan! Do you have any insight about how the affective computing could improve the online education?
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:22
can you say more about what you mean about typical patterns among users for user testing? I’m not sure what you are asking
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:22
@anapaulafaria.design Susan technology is helping us measuring emotions. What tools do u recommend? Any thoughts about this subject? Tks!
ashleamckay
2017-11-28 23:23
The hardest part about being autistic is convincing others that it’s an advantage not an inconvenience and that overall my strengths far outweigh any irritating things I do and say. I am very good at spotting patterns and much more – I’m just a little annoying! hahahah :slightly_smiling_face:
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:23
I think tools for measuring emotions are going to become more commonplace. But we may not be able to get much further for a while than “strong emotion” and “not strong emotion”
dave.d
2017-11-28 23:23
Question: Love your work Susan and I’m an avid listener of HumanTech – I’m a registered Psychologist working in Software development and like to use psychological research to inform some of my design decisions – do you have any research journals or blogs you check regularly with a focus on research?
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:24
currently we can use tools that measure brain activity, respiration, galvanic skin response and so on. These are quite reliable and can tell you down to a specific moment whether people are a) paying attention, and b) having a strong emotional reaction.
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:25
Is there anything in your previous books that you would revise, with regard to the replication crisis? — yes, there are some studies that I talked about a while back, in my “Neuro Web Design Book” that I don’t talk about anymore
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:25
John Bargh’s work I believe has not been replicated at all so I have dropped it.
uxresearchguy
2017-11-28 23:25
as always ‘it depends’ :slightly_smiling_face:
davidskodt
2017-11-28 23:25
That’s ok, I am a little annoying as well. :relieved:
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:26
It’s hard when it’s a book since it’s not like you can go back and change a blog post that is online!
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:26
but i do try and keep up and I change my keynotes and my workshops to reflect what seems to be replicated and what doesn’t.
vgaizutis
2017-11-28 23:26
In a small shop, the UX designer may also be the one conducting usability tests. There is a perception that the designer won’t be impartial since it’s their design being tested. Let’s say the designer isn’t married to their designs; that they are indeed impartial. How do they convince stakeholders of this when it comes time to review results?
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:27
@rebecator Hello, Susan! Do you have any insight about how the affective computing could improve the online education? — can you say more about this one… what in particular do you consider affective computing?
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:27
@dave.d Question: Love your work Susan and I’m an avid listener of HumanTech – I’m a registered Psychologist working in Software development and like to use psychological research to inform some of my design decisions – do you have any research journals or blogs you check regularly with a focus on research?
trh20
2017-11-28 23:27
Thank you Susan for your insights. How do you measure emotions changing over time?
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:29
Thanks for listening to the podcast! Yes, I follow lots of research journals and blogs. I don’t have a list here off the top of my head, but perhaps I can get a list to our channel hosts and they can publish it after the fact?
hawk
2017-11-28 23:29
Happy to do that :slightly_smiling_face:
hawk
2017-11-28 23:29
I can include it in the transcript
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:29
@vgaizutis In a small shop, the UX designer may also be the one conducting usability tests. There is a perception that the designer won’t be impartial since it’s their design being tested. Let’s say the designer isn’t married to their designs; that they are indeed impartial. How do they convince stakeholders of this when it comes time to review results?
cdenhaan
2017-11-28 23:30
:+1:
davidskodt
2017-11-28 23:30
Hi Susan,
So in a talk you gave called “Top ten things you need to know about perception”, you state that negative space is “wasted” because peripheral vision gives us unconscious impressions, but I often read about the importance of negative space for increasing legibility and comprehension. Can you elaborate a little bit on what you think about this, and how YOU think negative space should be utilized?
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:31
You can definitely test your own designs IF you are careful to not be attached. To convince others of that — you could try several things: have someone else test one of your designs and record everything so people can see you tend to do the same type of tests as others; be quite critical of your own design in some places, i.e., be your own harshest critic
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:31
Thank you Susan for your insights. How do you measure emotions changing over time?
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:32
I don’t think we are very good at measuring emotions changing over time from a pure measurement point of view. The only way we can do it now really is to ask people and then ask again, and ask again, but I do not consider asking people how or what they feel to be very reliable.
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:33
So in a talk you gave called “Top ten things you need to know about perception”, you state that negative space is “wasted” because peripheral vision gives us unconscious impressions, but I often read about the importance of negative space for increasing legibility and comprehension. Can you elaborate a little bit on what you think about this, and how YOU think negative space should be utilized?
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:33
I wouldn’t have said specifically that negative space is wasted. It’s space on the periphery of vision that is wasted.
hawk
2017-11-28 23:33
We’re at the end of the queue if anyone wants to jump in with a question
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:34
negative space is always important in general, but if you just have big blank areas in peripheral vision that you are not using the power of peripheral vision
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:34
and I haven’t answered the question on affective computing if that person would like to say a little more about that
hawk
2017-11-28 23:35
From @lukcha: If Susan has them, I’d love to hear reader feedback and any interesting stories she’s collected about how designers have applied these #100things to their products to get a meaningful outcome.
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:36
I get emails all the time from people who tell me about how they are using the material in the book. I’m always happy to hear from people. It is amazing that so many people are reading the book and trying things out. I get some pretty funny emails too!
mcleanmel
2017-11-28 23:36
What are some principles you use when considering how to design peripheral space to put it to best use?
trh20
2017-11-28 23:37
So to measure emotions changing over time, you would observe, and observe again at a later point in time? Because people usually don’t like change but then grow accustomed to the new design.
jacqui_dow5
2017-11-28 23:37
In your book you talk about there being 4 ways to be creative. Next week we are having a session with stakeholders to gather some requirements for a new project and I was wondering what is going to be the best way to get them thinking creatively? (One is the development manager, and the other is the support manager)
jason.hightman
2017-11-28 23:37
Hi Susan … Could you share your opinion on applications with tons of data to view and/or input. Some tend to try and cram as much as they can into a screen while others prefer to spread things out a bit. Have you seen a trend with users when faced with either scenario?
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:37
Peripheral vision is very blurry, so don’t put in a lot of detail. But DO put in peripheral vision: images that show emotion, danger (if appropriate), info that gives the “gist” of where the person is (logo, navigation bar and so on)
anja
2017-11-28 23:38
Hi from Sydney Australia.
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:38
@trh20 So to measure emotions changing over time, you would observe, and observe again at a later point in time? Because people usually don’t like change but then grow accustomed to the new design.
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:39
yes it’s true that people don’t like change, and they may become accustomed to the new design. I like to use what I call “exploratory research” to find out what people are thinking
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:39
and feeling.
davidskodt
2017-11-28 23:39
I have a philosophical question.
There is a trend where we are becoming more introverted through technology, as we get a sense of being social through social media. Do you think this will continue to worsen, and is it a problem that we should be talking more about?
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:39
so i set up a scenario and ask them to talk about “the last time you bought clothing online”
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:39
and then have them walk me through a story. within that conversation i can start to explore how they feel
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:40
it’s like being a therapist!
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:40
@jacqui_dow5 In your book you talk about there being 4 ways to be creative. Next week we are having a session with stakeholders to gather some requirements for a new project and I was wondering what is going to be the best way to get them thinking creatively? (One is the development manager, and the other is the support manager)
krisztina
2017-11-28 23:41
In one of your books (I think in the 100 things…), you talk about the limitations of eye-tracking – one of those is that it only captures the central vision – do this limitation still apply? Are there any better eye-tracking devices? Have you used eye-tracking in any of your projects in the last few years? Thanks for your answer!
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:41
now there is a topic that I have changed my thoughts on. — there is new research on creativity that I have in my online course on creativity that unfortunately isn’t in my book.
davidbaird
2017-11-28 23:41
I see people get really caught up in detail when they try to explain their actions, yet do the complete opposite when they actually interact with a product – actions speak louder than words, but how do you trust what a person says they want in a product?
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:42
hmm… how to give that info in a slack channel? here’s a really short version… focus on the problem you want to solve or the idea you want to come up with creative approaches to. then forget about it for a few hours or a few days. then pay attention to the ideas that occur “spontaneously” over the next few days
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:42
@jason.hightman Hi Susan … Could you share your opinion on applications with tons of data to view and/or input. Some tend to try and cram as much as they can into a screen while others prefer to spread things out a bit. Have you seen a trend with users when faced with either scenario?
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:43
totally depends on the application and context. If it is a call center and people need to have quick access to the info and they are VERY familiar with the app, then put as much as you can on one screen. Otherwise, figure out what people need to know and when and use progressive disclosure to give them what they need at a certain point.
jacqui_dow5
2017-11-28 23:43
How have your thoughts on it changed? And do you have any advice for getting them to think as creatively as possible, not getting bogged down in technicalities and detail
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:44
@davidskodt I have a philosophical question.
There is a trend where we are becoming more introverted through technology, as we get a sense of being social through social media. Do you think this will continue to worsen, and is it a problem that we should be talking more about?
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:44
I don’t think we are being more introverted with technology. I think we are communicating differently. I’m not worried about it because we are very social beings and will use any technology to be social.
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:45
I AM worried about AI and machines taking over.
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:45
@krisztina In one of your books (I think in the 100 things…), you talk about the limitations of eye-tracking – one of those is that it only captures the central vision – do this limitation still apply? Are there any better eye-tracking devices? Have you used eye-tracking in any of your projects in the last few years? Thanks for your answer!
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:46
correct. eye tracking measures central vision only. There is no eyetracking machine I know of that tracks peripheral vision. I have worked on projects where others are using eye tracking, but I don’t use it much on my own since I believe the limitations are well… limiting!
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:46
@davidbaird I see people get really caught up in detail when they try to explain their actions, yet do the complete opposite when they actually interact with a product – actions speak louder than words, but how do you trust what a person says they want in a product? (edited)
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:47
Yes, i agree, and basically you can’t just listen to what people say in a product. that’s why you have to do design (not just implement what they asked for), and why you have to do lots of iterative prototyping and testing and be ready to change things when people realize what will actually work
trh20
2017-11-28 23:48
So you have an opinion on how technology use has affected text reading? Can students adapt to both? It’s my sense that they can.
davidbaird
2017-11-28 23:48
Thanks, that makes sense. It’s kind of a combination of bits of ideas, or the genesis of ideas coming from verbal ‘wants’ or feedback.
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:49
trh20 [5:48 PM]
So you have an opinion on how technology use has affected text reading? Can students adapt to both? It’s my sense that they can. — there is a great book (that I will also have put in the transcript) about how technology is changing how we read. There are people doing research on this.
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:50
the short answer is that we are maintaining our ability to read long narratives, but we are also honing our skills in skimming and scanning.
jo.ingram7
2017-11-28 23:50
Hi Susan, following on from the eye tracking discussion, mouse tracking heat maps (such as hot jar and crazy egg) seem to be gaining popularity as a quick and easy way to see what is working. What sort of weight do you give to these tools?
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:51
reading is NOT something we are born with teh capability of. our brains change and “steal” resources from other faculties in order to read. It is an example of our brain’s flexibility
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:51
mouse tracking heat maps show you where people clicked and that can be useful. but you don’t know why, so user testing is always helpful.
bdevilliers
2017-11-28 23:52
Hi Susan, what do you think about mixed reality ? I’m thinking about Microsoft Hololens. Also how would you adapt your design process for mixed reality ?
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:53
I have some guidelines for designing for mixed reality that I have put together. they are in one of our online courses. It’s a great topic and you made me realize I should write a blog post about it!
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:54
The design process for mixed reality is similar to our “regular” design processes
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:54
BUT you really have to take context into account
krisztina
2017-11-28 23:54
What are your favorite user interview questions? (e.g. Kim Goodwin wrote that she likes to ask what the interviewee would do with a magic wand)
hayley.martin
2017-11-28 23:55
has joined #ask-the-uxperts
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:56
my favorites are the ones I use in the exploratory research I mentioned earlier — “Tell me about the last time you….”, “Was it fun?” “What would make it more fun?” “How do you know that the people who own this (product, website, etc) care about you?” and so on
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:56
i find that if i ask open ended questions people open up and end up talking about what is really important to them
hawk
2017-11-28 23:56
4 minutes left. Anyone got anything urgent?
uxresearchguy
2017-11-28 23:57
this has been brilliant
trh20
2017-11-28 23:57
Thank you, Susan!
hawk
2017-11-28 23:58
Ok, this is probably a good time to call it!
sbieleny
2017-11-28 23:58
Thanks Susan!
susanweinschenk
2017-11-28 23:58
Thanks everyone for your great questions and for your support of what we do in our books and podcast and so on!
jacqui_dow5
2017-11-28 23:59
thank you :slightly_smiling_face:
davidskodt
2017-11-28 23:59
Thank you, Susan :slightly_smiling_face:
roslynn
2017-11-28 23:59
thank you for the insights and the inspiration @susanweinschenk!
anapaulafaria.design
2017-11-28 23:59
Tks Susan :ok_hand:
patricia.b
2017-11-28 23:59
Thank you Susan. Greetings from Dublin, Ireland!
jo.ingram7
2017-11-28 23:59
Thanks Susan
krisztina
2017-11-28 23:59
Thanks for your insightful answers!
hawk
2017-11-28 23:59
Thanks so much for your time today @susanweinschenk – respect.
The post Transcript: Ask the UXperts: How Psychology and Neuroscience Can Support Design — with Susan Weinschenk appeared first on UX Mastery.
by Sarah Hawk via UX Mastery http://ift.tt/2BzHDdt
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