#toxic waters lite

[nitrosodiumofficialuses]

Toxic Waters Lite: Enemies

Nicolas is finished for the time being, so let's look at some possible enemy designs. The standard mutant will be a Drain variant; essentially waterlogged zombies with greenish skin covered in purplish tendrils and virescent lesions. They are the infected remains of the Hydromorph personnel, a fate you've narrowly avoided as the game starts. They are basically zombies - slow, shambling, dangerous in a group, but pistol fodder on their own. Next up are Flowdogs, reddish amphibious beasts resembling quadrupedal piranhas. These are the result of animal testing and infected pets/guard dogs at the complex. They are faster than Drains, but do less damage to compensate. If time permits, I might add an "alpha Flowdog" variant with stripes and an increased predatory instinct. They can swim through deep water, unlike Drains, who sink to the bottom of deep pools.

Another "enemy" includes the disembodied purple tentacles that drag Nicolas under whenever he enters deep water. We can assume that the virus has mutated various species of squids being studied at Hydromorph, resulting in these unseen monstrosities.

A lot of monster creation is a combination of three virtues: what looks cool, what functions cool mechanically, and what is realistic for aquatic mutants. For example, taking an electric eel mutant and giving it an area-of-effect shock attack makes sense thematically, mechanically, and biologically. Crab/lobster mutants will have extra health and powerful melee attacks, sea slug mutants may be bio luminescent and have some sort of poison attack, octopus/squid mutants will be highly intelligent and have a camouflage ability, etcera. Another idea is an eel-like creature that emerges from underground, like a cross between the piranha plants from Mario and the Tentacles from Half Life. You could shoot them to permanently kill them, a smart idea if they inhabit an area you are going to frequent, well, frequently. Otherwise, you can leave them, since they can't leave where they are rooted. Perhaps in later Toxic Waters games, I will have shark men. I don't plan on using any in TWL, I want to keep them for a slightly more refined experience where they can be better percieved as intelligent (i.e. a game where I know how to program smarter enemies). One enemy I am very interested in implementing is the Mauler, a giant armored fish. It would be much larger than other enemies, and it would have the ability to chase you onto land like a bull shark. I reckon it would inhabit a small section of the map, which will be heavy on platforming and staying out of the Mauler's way, not unlike the Kaernk sections of Amnesia.

So, that's the long and short of it. There is so much about Toxic Waters that has been planned, shelved, revived, tinkered with, and reimagined since 2019; folders and folders of drawings and descriptions of levels and enemies... and now, I finally have a chance to eject those ideas into a real game. I'm excited!

#gamedev #toxic waters lite #devlog #character design

[bluegalaxygirl]

Wild Flower (Zosan X reader) P2

Plot: While doing recon for the crew, reader's snake gets captured by a marine who knows more about her than her own crew but to make matters worse he can hurt reader through her Snake using some strange powers and deadly plants.

Warning: Bad language, Sickness, Violence, Blood and Snakes

Reader is female and has the ability to control Snakes that come form tattoo's on her arms, she can change the size of them and see through their eyes but they are also connected to her emotions. Zoro X Sanji X Reader, poly relationship, established relationship.

P1 - P3 - P4 - P5 - P6 - P7 - P8 - Bonus

Nami was supposed to guide Sanji and Zoro through the marine base but nothing ever goes to plan when your captain is too eager for a fight and doesn't understand how to sneak around. The navigator gave the map to Sanji telling him to follow the red line that she drew to get to where your snake was last, while Luffy was fighting the marines along with Franky and Brook who both deiced to join last minute. Walking through the halls Zoro kept close to the cook as to not get lost, it was surprisingly easy to get around with all the marines fighting at the front entrance but it made the two uneasy. If you snake had an aura things would be much easier but it didn't so the two just stuck to the map soon making it to the door you were last at "This is it" Sanji sighs putting the map away and puffing on his cigarette, the cook tried the handle finding it locked so stepped back watching as Zoro smiles raising two of his swords and slicing the metal door into pieces, the strange smell you talked about hit their noses but it wasn't too strong, so they both found it easy to ignore it and start walking down the stairs. The dimly lite stairs made it hard to see so Sanji lite his foot on fire in order to see better, the stone stairs were dirty and slightly wet but as they made their way down the fire around the cooks foot started to sizzle burning away any puddles of water he stepped in "How long does this go down for?" Zoro groans after walking for a while the end of the stair's no where in sight, Sanji shrugs flicking away his cigarette focusing on not slipping.

It takes a while but soon the stairs flatten out into a path the cold air and damp floor making the two of them cold despite the fire coming form Sanji's leg, "The hell?" Zoro asks stepping into a slightly lite room looking at the long rows of plants that are growing out of dirt piles "Chopper said something about the snap being the most toxic bit so try not to get any on you" Sanji whisper's shaking the fire off his leg as to not alert anyone that their here, Zoro scans the area seeing a few rooms going off to the side all the doors open, he walks over to one soon followed by Sanji only to hear a loud hiss from another room along with the sound of footsteps "Oh you almost got be that time... Such a fighter, its amazing really" A male voice laughs out making Zoro grip his swords as the two walk over trying not to make any noise, your snake hisses again from its small cage sitting on the wooden tool bench its skin hot and covered in bumps but it still snaps at the marine as he sits on wooden stool teasing the snake by putting his finger into the cage before pulling it back out before being bitten. "I'm guessing she's not dead then if you two are here" The marine smiles picking up the small cage with his gloved hand and turning towards the door seeming to sense the two boys approaching. Sanji growls moving his leg back ready to kick this guy if he gets too close while Zoro glares at the man before turning his attention to your snake. It shivered with cold and anger, its body morphed in a way to try and fit inside the small cage leaving little wiggle room, the poor snake didn't look well at all despite it trying to reach threw the thin gaps of the bars to bite the marines hand.

As the marine steps out he looks the two over with a smile "I'm sorry about your lady but at the end of the day it is my job to hunt down any dangerous animals" The man shrugs, Sanji growls and runs at the marine kicking the man who dodges out-of-the-way holding onto the cage in a death grip as Zoro slashes his swords at the man. The cook lights his foot on fire kicking down on the man arm as Zoro brings his swords down to cut his shoulder. The marine laughs dropping the cage before touching the two with his gloved hands just as both attacks hit. Sanji screams out being forced back and sliding along the wet floor holding his sliced open shoulder while Zoro gasps in slight shock having to take a few steps back while the slave of his kimono and some of his skin burns up. The marine kicks the swordsman in the stomach sending his rolling across the wet fall almost landing in some of the plants. Picking up the cage again your snake trying to bite the man but can't get threw the bars "That was good, your both good fighters" The marine smiles watching as the two try and get up off the wet floor. Sanji pants managing to stand to his foot while gripping onto his bleeding shoulder, his eyes widen when seeing the marine perfectly fine, not even a wrinkle in his uniform. Zoro groans as he stands up using his swords to help him sad before looking down at the burn on his arm, it takes a second for the two to realize what happened, somehow the two ended up hurting each other despite only hitting the marine.

The swordsman glares at the marine his anger boiling at the situation and calm almost humored look on the man's face "Cook, stay out of the way" Zoro yells out keeping his eyes fixed on the marines, he must have some kind of devil fruit powers, and he was not about to stand back and let Sanji fight since he was itching to take this guy out. "What?" The cook yells back in anger not happy that the swordsman's trying to bench him but before he can act Zoro charges at the marine swinging his sword to try and cut the man or the cage in his hand. The marine dodges finding amusement in the fight and the looks on the two men's faces " I thought you two would be smarter than this" The marine laughs trying to keep the cage out of the swordsman's reach. The swordsman smiles after finally getting a hit in, slicing the marines cheek but to his surprise the man's hand brushes against the swordsman arm, the cut disappearing of his face as a stinging sensation runs over Zoro's cheek. Blood trickles down the green haired man's cheek as he swings again this time going for the cage, the marine dodges before kicking Zoro in the face sending him a few steps back. Sanji had a theory about what was going on so runs over to the swordsman stopping him from going back into the fight as the marine backs up with a small laugh. "He's a devil fruit user" The cook states after earning a pissed off look form Zoro who didn't like the blonde stepping in and already knew that for a fact but this wasn't a good time to argue with him.

The marine laughs letting a big smile show as he steps back a bit more in case the two decide to attack him again "Oh wow so one of you does have a brain" The marine mocks while shaking the cage a little to stop the snake from biting it and trying to get at his fingers "I have the Transfer-Transfer Fruit... anything you do to me i can send right back to you or to someone else" Zoro growls hating that he can't land a blow on this guy and actually hurt him, he thought about just going for the kill but if Sanji was anywhere close there's a chance he could transfer it to the cook. "So thats how Y/n got hurt" Sanji sighs lighting up a cigarette, it still didn't fully make sense since the guy managed to trap you in your own head or something but that didn't matter now, they had to get your snake back "I was wondering since she wasn't actually here to answer may questions maybe you two could? I would have liked to get to know her a little before she dies but- " The marine smiles quite relaxed knowing he has the upper hand, Zoro growls though running at the man despite Sanji trying to stop him the marine dodging fighting back this time with punches and kicks while trying to keep the cage out of reach. Sanji growls trying to find an opening that want get the both of them hurt, he couldn't stand by anymore and let Zoro have all the fun.

Soon finding an opening the cook runs over lighting his foot on fire and jumping into the air bringing his leg down managing to surprise the marine who didn't have much time to react other than raising his arm in defense. The marine screams out unable to move his hand to touch one of them as Zoro swings his sword at the cage slicing it in half and grabbing your snake as it falls out. The two jump back as the marine shoves his arm to the floor letting the damp concrete help put out the fire burning his arm. Zoro holds your snake close as it hisses in pain from his touch but makes no attempt to bite him not wanting to hurt the swordsman "Sorry buddy, just hang in there" Zoro whispers as Sanji joins his side grabbing the swordsman's arm and making a move towards the door "We should go" Sanji pleads with his eyes that Zoro won't argue and just follow him, he didn't want to risk you or your snake getting hurt anymore "Your not going anywhere Vinsmoke" The marine pants yelling out in anger as he holds his arm close to his chest. Hearing the name Sanji stops in his tracks, he hates that last name and doesn't go by it anymore but hearing it still reminds him of his past and what he had to go threw. "Lets go" Zoro whispers not wanting the marine to get the upper hand but the marine already seemed to have a hold the cook and soon he has a hold of Zoro with his question.

The marine smiles seeing he has the cook's attention "Why would she date a Vinsmoke? After what your family did to her and her home i though she would hate you" The man smiles making the cook pant a little not understanding why the marine is saying all this, you would have said something if this was all true, right? "W-What?" Sanji can't help but ask managing to snap Zoro out of his state of shock and grab the cooks hand "Lets go now" The swordsman tries to start moving only for the marine to lock eyes with Sanji and smile "Cozia" The name sends a spike through the cook's heart remembering that day and what his family did. Zoro stops in his tracks too, there were a lot of rumors about that island and the battle that took place there, no one knew for sure what happened since the people who live there never leave the island and since it's a privet place no one is aloud on without permission. The island of Cozia was attacked over 13 years ago by Germa 66, they were looking for something but different people say different things about what happened, Some say that the Vinsmoke's got what they wanted and almost killed everyone and everything on that island while others say they didn't get what they wanted but still burned the village and killed people. Either way they did a lot of damage and no one not even Sanji knows the true outcome of that battle.

Your snake wiggles in Zoro's hand trying to get his attention, it knows what the marine is trying to do and just wants to get back to you, it didn't want to hurt the swordsman but it was starting to think about biting him to get the two to snap out of it. "Your family burned her home, killed her people and tried to take something from her home. i wanted to ask her what and if they got it or not so maybe you can tell me... being a Vinsmoke and all" The marines words stab deep, you never told him any of that, how could you love him after what his family did, he's not one of them anymore, but they have put you through hell. "You ever wonder where those snakes come from? I know... I've wanted to meet the thing that blessed her with such a gift, i was hoping she would introduce me since they were both so close but alas, it seemed your family took that away from her too" Sanji lets out a shaky breath his eyes widen with shock making Zoro growl wanting to shut the marine up the swordsman runs at the man, he didn't think just swings his sword down trying to stop the marine from talking. This man hurt the two people he loves the most something he can't ignore or forgive. "Zoro don't" Sanji yells out being snapped out of his thoughts and trying to run over to stop the swordsman, but he isn't fast enough. Zoro pants glaring at the Marine who stays stood and perfectly unharmed despite the green haired man slashing him across the chest.

A loud pained hissing noise hits the swordsman's ears forcing his eye away from the smiling marine to see your snake withing in pain with the marine's gloved finger touching its chest where a long cut slices through its skin. Zoro's eyes widen as the marine pulls his hand away from the wiggling and almost screaming snake but the marine smiles at the green haired man taking in the look of shock and realization "Well if my plants didn't kill her, i'm sure that did" Sanji's eyes widen at the marine's words but it sparks a burning fire of rage in him, rushing over before the man can react Sanji kicks the marine in the face as hard as he can send the man flying back and through the brick wall. Zoro couldn't take his eyes off your snake as it hissed and wiggled in pain, its tail clinging onto the swordsman's thumb for some kind of comfort, cursing under his breath the swordsman holds your snake close to his chest unable to comprehend what just happened. Sanji glares as the marine who tries to get back up shoving pieces of brick off of him, lighting his foot on fire the cook kicks one of the pants setting it on fire, curing the pants connecting to it and around it to also catch on fire. "No" The marine yells standing up out of the rubble his hand covering half of his bleeding face. Sanji grabs Zoro pulling him out of the burning room and up the stairs as the fire speeds, his fire hot enough to sizzle the water on the floor and reaching high enough to catch the wooden beams on fire.

The swordsman soon snaps out of his own head being pulled up the long stair's by Sanji soon making it to the top and heading back the way they came, the fire bellow starting to make its way up the stairs gripping onto anything it can in order to spread and grow. "Shit... what have i done?" Zoro asks still trying to wrap his head around what happened while his eyes look over the passed out snake in his hand, its head laying on his chest as it tries to breath. Sanji shakes his head while running down the hallways trying to remember the way to the exit "It's not your fault" the cook grits his teeth feeling guilty since if he didn't freeze then Zoro wouldn't have lashed out "We need to get back, the snakes still here so that means Y/n's still alive... you didn't kill her, now come on" The cook yells getting the swordsman to finally pick up his feet and start running instead of being pulled along, a sense of relief washes over the green haired man, you did tell them that if you die your snakes will disappear in some way so since its still here you must be too. "I'm so sorry" Zoro whispers to your passed out snake but also to you, he didn't mean for this to happen, he was supposed to get your snake back not kill it or you.

Robin sat by your side as Chopper sat at his desk trying to make an antidote to the poison with two books laying open in front of him. The other crew members where either off at the marine base or keeping a look out, poor Usopp came back a little while ago to a big mess after trying to get some new plant's for his bullets and now was on high alert and slightly panicking as he kept watch over the ship. "The cure for this poison is kinda complicated" Chopper sighs airing his concern as he mashes the sea kelp into a paste before adding some other medication and pills crushing them too "I know you can does it Chopper's, your the best doctor i know" Robin smiles turning to look at the reindeer whose cheeks turn bright red while swaying side to said "Don't praise me, it doesn't make me happy at all" Robin lets out a small laugh before turning back to your sleeping form. The ice packs under your arms had to be replaced a while ago but your fever is under control now, your muscles still twitch in your red arm while the sores and bumps that litter your arm spreading to your chest show no sigh of fading away. Chopper did a good job stopping the spread of the poison but you still needed the antidote. The doctor puts the paste into a glass and fills it with water steering it well before sticking a needle in and collecting as much as he can, making his way over to the bed Robin helps him up and watches as Chopper injects the green liquid into your bad arm. A groan of pain leaves your lips but you don't wake up or make any attempt to move your arm, Robin sighs while placing a hand on your head stoking your hair lightly to try and reassure you in some way.

Once done Chopper sits on the end of the bed looking you over as the black haired woman keeps stroking your hair "It should start working in the next few minutes but I'll take a while for her to recover fully" The doctor sighs wiping his tired eyes, Robin gives the reindeer a smile before placing her hand on his leg "Take a nap, I'll look after her" Robin's soft voice was hard to say no too so Chopper nods laying down and letting his eyes close while drifting off to sleep. As the minutes ticked by your breathing got a lot better, no more wheezing or heavy breathing trying to catch your breath and your skin started to cool down on its own. Robin noticed the goose bumps appearing on your arms so took the large ice bags away happy that your body is able to regulate its own temperature again, your twitching arm started to slow down, only once in a while making your fingers move while your arm relaxed. Things seemed to be going well until you suddenly wake up screaming in pain making Robin jump a little and Chopper panic being woken up from his nap, red starts to seep threw your shirt as your hands grab at your chest and stomach. Robin and Chopper rush to pull your shirt up seeing a large bleeding slash wound going from your right shoulder to your left hip, despite not knowing where it came from or why it happened the two get to work on trying to stop the bleeding and taking care of the wound. Gasping in shock and pain you watch the two work while trying to hold pressure on your chest and shoulder.

The door to the medical room slams open Usopp running in to see what all the yelling and screaming is about but stops when seeing the blood "are we under attack?" the sniper asks but Robin shakes her head while holding pressure on your stomach all while trying to talk you through the pain and keep you awake for now. You managed to stop screaming out in pain but you couldn't help any groan or slight yell when ever you or Robin moved or shifted on the cut. Jumping off the bed the doctor runs over to his medical box grabbing needles and thread and medication "Usopp take over from Y/N" Chopper yells grabbing as many bandages as he can carry before running back over and hopping up onto the bed. Usopp jumps at the command not fully understanding what to do but soon notices your hand holding your shoulder and chest, the sniper rushes over and grabs some of the pads that Chopper hands out holding them to the slash wound letting your arms relax. The doctor pushes some drugs into your system to help with the pain making you feel kinda dizzy and light-headed as he gets to work trying to stitch wound closed. "Why does this keep happening?" You whine out trying not to push the three of them off of you, the pain was dulled a little but with every stitch or shift of pressure it sent a wave of pain through your body. "I'm sorry Y/N. I'm sure Zoro and Sanji are doing everything they can" Robin keeps a calm soothing voice trying to help keep you grounded but you raise an eyebrow at her suddenly realizing that your two boys aren't here.

Worry flows through you wonder if there ok and where they are. "What?" you ask focusing on the back haired woman instead of the pain, Usopp looks over your wound his eyes widening as his mind works seeming to figure out who caused this slash. "They went after your snake, they wanted to help" Robin answers but turns to look at Usopp who gulps and shakes a little, her eyes telling him not to say anything but you can already tell what the sniper is thinking. It doesn't matter if this was caused by Zoro, you know he would never intentionally hurt you and this also means that your snake is alive, its most likely in pain but at least it's still with you and you have faith that your boys will bring it home to you. "It was a trap" you sigh looking up at the ceiling trying to calm your breathing down "I don't know how but when he grabbed my snake it was like i was actually there with him" You whisper feeling tired but for some reason you felt the need to inform the others of what happened, Robin places a free hand on your hand trying to comfort you "There is no log pose or poneglyph, he set up those rumors to get us there" Squeezing your hand Robin shushes you watching as your breathing goes back to normal "It's ok Y/n, once everyone's on the ship we'll just leave" Usopp sighs trying to keep pressure on your shoulder while you lay back trying to relax and let them work.

#one piece #imagine #polly relationship #zoro x reader #roronoa zoro #sanji x reader #sanji x zoro #zosan #zosan x reader #zoro x sanji #zoro roronoa #zoro #one piece zoro #sanji #one piece sanji #vinsmoke sanji #black leg sanji #blackleg sanji #sanji vinsmoke #zoro x sanji x reader #one piece zosan #op zosan #zosan fanfic

[ms-demeanor]

So i'm watching a cspan hearing from 1987 about aspartame because it's one of the big tent-poles of the "pilots can't fly after drinking a diet coke" claim (timestamps from about 1hr:00-1hr:10).

Okay here's the pattern this air force major general describes:

He is big on running and runs a lot. When he runs a lot, he drinks a lot of artificially sweetened kool-aid.

He is running a lot in the summer heat in nevada, drinking a gallon of kool-aid a day, and develops a tremor.

The tremor goes away when he is stationed on a remote base.

He gets back into the regular swing of things and is running a lot and his tremor comes back, but stops when he sprains his ankle and stops running (and therefore drinking the kool-aid)

He is stationed in Australia, and someone sends him some crystal lite, and he is back to drinking a gallon of it a day and the tremor comes back. (No mention of if he was drinking something else during his runs before, or if he was drinking a gallon a day while not running in this case)

He is stationed in Florida, and has been regularly running and drinking sugar-free kool-aid, when he has a seizure.

His father points out a correlation between kool-aid and tremors, and two days later he is put on an anti-seizure medication. Since then he has not had any kool-aid and his tremors have not returned.

Would anyone like to guess the symptoms of hyponatremia, or would anyone like to hazard a guess as to why Gatorade is used as a recovery drink but kool-aid is not?

Hyponatremia is what happens when your electrolyte balance is completely fucked up. It typically means you've got too much water and not enough salt in your body, and it can straight-up kill you. It's sometimes called "water toxicity" and is why that lady died after drinking too much water for a radio contest. It *also* kills athletes who are significantly exerting themselves (this guy was describing 5-8 miles of running 4-5 days a week in addition to regular gym visits, including in Nevada in the summer) and not properly replenishing electrolytes. It's why Gatorade was developed in the first place - it was a sports recovery drink for the Florida Gators football team, who are athletes exercising in a very humid environment that can cause significant depletion of electrolytes.

He even points out that he didn't have any seizures or tremors after he was put on dylantin, but I'm guessing he also wasn't *running five miles a day and rehydrating with just water* immediately after his seizure.

Anyway, it does appear that this guy was permanently grounded after a grand mal seizure that doctors believed might have been connected to prior head trauma from a car accident, and I'm sure that sucked, but it really seems like his tremors and muscle spasms were much more likely to have been related to an electrolyte imbalance (if you're getting cramps, muscle spasms, and twitching one of the first things doctors/trainers/physical therapists will generally recommend is checking on your sodium/potassium/magnesium intake) than they were to consuming a chemical that literally millions of people (including tons of athletes working at high intensity and tons of people with demanding, precise jobs) consume daily without having seizures.

[delirious-blue]

gmmtv 2024 part 2 roster, in approximate order of how excited i am about them:

The Heart Killers: YES. soooooo good for me. silly romcom mafia shakespeare plot! dressing everyone up in little outfits! enemies-to-lovers standoff to makeout! love that it's 90s teen movie shakespeare but with more murder. love that this time first and dunk are the ones pursuing khao and joong. delighted p'jojo is directing, he knows exactly what he's doing and he's right for it.

The Ex-Morning: being halfway through watching SOTUS for the first time is an extremely funny time to watch the kristsingto rpf-lite comeback special trailer. it looks good! i love the concept of exes-to-collaborators-to-lovers even before you add in the rpf parallels of it all. p'aof generally does really solid shows and i have no reason to think this won't live up to expectations.

Friendshit Forever: title so stupid it wraps back around into being genius. looks toxic and fun. i will say that if gmmtv wants to yuribait me this hard in the trailer i hope they at least have the decency to yuribait me in the show as well. (real story: when i downloaded the trailers to rewatch i initially ended up with the subtitles from 'Us' playing over the scene where mook and pat meet and for a beautiful moment i lived in a world where there were two gl shows on the 2025 roster.)

Us: the trailer doesn’t give me a great sense for what the actual, uh, plot is. i do appreciate that they found an excuse to have them kiss shirtless in the trailer. the nominal cyrano-esque plot (plus the trite “can two women love one another”) doesn’t feel that interesting but i presume the actual show will have more to it than just that. please i just need a gl that’s well-executed and not about high schoolers (patiently waiting for Pluto….)

Ossan's Love: looks extremely cringe, but….in a charming way? maybe? going to watch regardless because it's earthmix, may go watch the original to get a better idea of what the hell the vibe is supposed to be.

Hide & Sis: feels like it could be campy and fun or could be just bad, but optimistic that it’s the former.

The Dark Dice: okay, so it’s…..jumanji crossed with an escape room crossed with squid game for teenagers? sure i can get behind that. the trailer looked pretty good for being (i assume) relatively low-budget and low-effort.

Revamp: The Undead Story: looks a little silly but very likely in a fun way. (why are there so many vampire shows this year? was there something in the water?)

Thame-Po: okay, so this is a show about a boyband…..where the members are played by gmmtv’s actual boyband? this feels like another instance of rpf lite but less in a fun way and more in a way where i’m a little concerned for these teenagers about fan engagement bleedover. but it did look cute and there are opportunities to go a little meta about the whole thing.

Leap Day: intrigued to watch gun in a role where he actually has things to do

Sweet Tooth, Good Dentist: i think ohm and mark have really fun energy and i badly wanted to like their show, but it looks. SO bad. will watch at least an episode and hope it's better than the trailer made it look but good god.

Break-Up Service: another one that....could be fun or bad, but probably just bad.

Scarlet Heart: was that a trailer or a perfume ad? i guess this is an adaptation and we're supposed to be familiar with the original, slash they didn't have time to film an actual trailer before the event? isekai time travel could be fun in theory but the reverse harem thing does not entice me. pass.

Perfect 10 Liners: you know the bit in Lovely Writer where the show-within-a-show is Bad Engineer, and it's funny because it could literally be any BL that takes place in a university engineering faculty? Lovely Writer is three years old now and we're just still doing this apparently. why are there thirty episodes? did they just decide to toss all the pairs they didn't have a better idea for into the most generic setting possible and cross their fingers? hard pass.

#gmmtv 2024 #gmmtv 2024 part 2 #b

[nitrosodiumfmp]

A closer look at past projects

I've already reminisced and compared my past projects at length, but I'll do it again to make things clearer.

toxic waters longplay rs (youtube.com)

Toxic Waters was my first project, and a resounding success. I think I mentioned this before, but Toxic Waters is one of my oldest ideas for a game. It was originally created as an adventure game made in PowerPoint (yes, I can make games in PowerPoint) in September 2019. From there, it expanded into plans for a 3D game, along with a more typical sidescroller version called Toxic Waters Lite in mid-2022, also in PowerPoint. My vision for the game continued to grow throughout 2023, and I thought it would be the perfect game to do in college. You'll see in a lot of my old blog posts, Toxic Waters is called "TWL", or Toxic Waters Lite, but I thought that because it was the first actual Toxic Waters game, the "Lite" didn't make much sense. It was a platformer with physics puzzle elements and patrolling enemies, though I had planned for much more. Metroidvania-esque levels that can be travelled between, multiple enemy types lifted from previous versions of the game idea, combat with a variety of weapons, and a shop system where you could buy more health and ammo. There was going to be checkpoints, readables in the environment, changing water levels and way more interactivity. But obviously it was an unbelievable feature creep, so I cut it down to just four levels with no combat and more rudimentary puzzle mechanics. I learned a good lesson with that project - don't be infected by feature creep.

Overdeath """Gameplay""" (youtube.com)

Overdeath/Sparkler came next as my FPS project. I'll call it Overdeath, but throughout development it was being created both as a fast-paced shooter (Overdeath) and a mascot horror game with an emphasis on sound propagation (Sparkler). I had some levels made for Sparkler, but halfway through I finally made the change to Overdeath. I was prototyping before I even knew what game I was gonna make! Combine that with poor time allocation, even more feature creep, and the fact that we didn't learn AI until the 11th hour meant that the "final" version of Overdeath was slapped together at the very last second, a frosty canyon filled with kind-of-braindead enemies that you can easily disintegrate with your weapons. It did play, and I did pass, but it was missing so much that's core to an interactive experience. After Overdeath, which felt like a very personal failure as it was an idea I was quite excited about, I created the "lasagna philosophy" which I quoted a lot throughout the third project. When making a game, start with the most basic elements, and work your way up. It was something I had inadvertently used in the final hours of Toxic Waters, reusing the core assets I already had made in interesting ways in the last two levels, such as stacking two elevators on top of each other to create a sort of sliding door, or having a Drain push a barrel along as a final setpiece.

Sweat Pursuit Unreal Edition: Coronary Aftermath: Vengeance Of The Fatman (youtube.com)

Next up came another one with multiple names. Equus Librum, Savanna Rumble, Oubliette, Temple, and finally Sweat Pursuit. This was another one where the first week was fraught with deliberation; I had originally planned to do the arcade project as a semi-infinite resource collection game, but I was then told it wouldn't be arcadey enough, so I set about recreating one of my old Scratch games, a silly infinite runner called Sweat Pursuit. As much as I did enjoy the third project, it felt less creative. Because Sweat Pursuit required building from the ground up (it wasn't like Overdeath or Toxic Waters where Unreal had a template I could use) most of my time was spent coding. A lot of time I felt very stressed, getting hung up on tiny but important facets of the code that just wouldn't work no matter what I did. In the end, however, I did have a finished game, possibly the most functional and polished of my ideas so far. But I didn't enjoy the gaminess of it, in the sense that all my time was programming. It wasn't like my other projects where some time would be spent designing levels, or coming up with concept art, or I'd be making massive blog posts about my ideas outside of college. The fact that it all had to be mechanically sound left little time for much else in the project - I did research, of course, but it didn't feel as interesting.

My idea for this project was, at a very primordial level, to make a level that can be explored. I wanted to create an immersive walking simulator, which was a basic idea upon which other mechanics could be easily tacked on. I know that Doubt and deliberation in the early days of a project can damage things later on, so my considerations of other ideas this time around has been more because we have to come up with three ideas, and this allows me to explore the other ones without dropping the original. I think we start coding after half term (next week) so this is about the time I have to pick a game idea. Looking at everything, I think this is another case of my first instinct being the best, and Sinister City being the way to go.

After some revisions, however, it doesn't take place in a city anymore. Maybe a better name would be Sinister Workshop.

#devlog #gamedev #indiedev #indiegamedev #indie games #indie game dev #indie game #nitrosodium #indie dev

[nitrosodiumepicfps]

Overdeath: THE CRACKDOWN

I've become incredibly aware of the limited time I have for this project. So, like Toxic Waters Lite, I'm going to trim the fat.

The game is going to have exactly one level, this frozen gorge. You start in a little clearing, with a crashed APC to allude to how you got here. You're deep in enemy territory, and the only thing you can salvage from the wreckage is a Blaz pistol; a small handgun with infinite ammo due to a solar battery. It fires as fast as you can click, and you can test it out on some Inflata-Boxes. It's a bit of fun to watch them bounce around once shot, knocking over other boxes in the process, but they can also serve as instant cover.

Once you go around the side of the gorge, you'll be targeted by a Morkanoid up on the cliff, providing cover fire for more Morkanoids who run in. They have the same guns as you, but they're not so worried about their own preservation, so deal with them how you wish. Once inside this base, you can get your hands on the Octo-Shotgun, for taking out hordes. It has limited ammo, but you can pick up more if you hunt around for it.

It's a straight shot to the end of the level, ducking around parked APCs, boulders and tents while shooting Morkanoids. You can pick up health kits if need be, and bounce pads will help you get to out-of-reach areas. It's worth hunting around, as you will find shells there for your Octo-Shotgun. The end of the level will be beside a tiltrotor, allowing you to leave the gorge and presumably continue your conquest against the Morkanoid armies.

This is what I need. AI, weapons, UI, pickups, and level geometry.

By my calculations, I need all this in eleven days. I have no idea how.

#devlog #gamedev #indiegamedev #indie games

[lilyflanders]

the post i just reblogged makes me think, like. paintings for babies. (they loooovvve shapes and colours). abstracts and figurative. there are of course things to be mindful of such as - i personally have way wider range when it comes to textures of colours with oil paint, but a baby gonna be licking and chewing that shit and while artist oil paint is non toxic, dries permanent and the solvents evaporate, it still probably isnt baby safe idk ! an oil painting is still a little bit of a garage fumes-lite kinda thing and to an unprepared baby is probably a huge irritant

so it leaves i guess acrylics as a safer version but tbh i dont even know that it is safer ? but babies love shapes and colours so i feel like there gotta be easel paintings in a babys life? food safe paints have limited range ! altho i suppose still worth exploring. it's usually water colour, which i'm not great at conventional water colour to begin with. water soluble oil paint supposedly provides a headache fumes free way of painting but the finished dry painting is still an oil painting so idk plus again water solubles just isnt as good (doesnt feel as good to paint with, doesnt look as good) as conventional oil paints

[meghchowdhury]

Cowhead Lite Pure Milk Low Fat

Cowhead Lite Pure Milk Low Fat , also called milk powder, dried milk, or dry milk, is a manufactured dairy product made by evaporating milk to dryness. One purpose of drying milk is to preserve it; milk powder has a far longer shelf life than liquid milk and does not need to be refrigerated, due to its low moisture content. Another purpose is to reduce its bulk for the economy of transportation. Powdered milk and dairy products include such items as dry whole milk, nonfat (skimmed) dry milk, dry buttermilk, dry whey products and dry dairy blends. Many exported dairy products conform to standards laid out in Codex Alimentarius.

While Marco Polo wrote of Mongolian Tatar troops in the time of Kublai Khan who carried sun-dried skimmed milk as "a kind of paste", the first modern production process for dried milk was invented by the Russian doctor Osip Krichevsky in 1802. The first commercial production of dried milk was organized by the Russian chemist M. Dirchoff in 1832. In 1855, T. S. Grimwade took a patent on a dried milk procedure, though William Newton had patented a vacuum drying process as early as 1837.

In modern times, powdered milk is usually made by spray drying nonfat skimmed milk, whole milk, buttermilk or whey. Pasteurized milk is first concentrated in an evaporator to approximately 50 percent milk solids. The resulting concentrated milk is then sprayed into a heated chamber where the water almost instantly evaporates, leaving fine particles of powdered milk solids.

Alternatively, the milk can be dried by drum drying. Milk is applied as a thin film to the surface of a heated drum, and the dried milk solids are then scraped off. However, powdered milk made this way tends to have a cooked flavour, due to caramelization caused by greater heat exposure.

Another process is freeze drying, which preserves many nutrients in milk, compared to drum drying. The drying method and the heat treatment of the milk as it is processed alters the properties of the milk powder, such as its solubility in cold water, its flavour, and its bulk density.

Powdered milk is frequently used in the manufacture of infant formula, confectionery such as chocolate and caramel candy, and in recipes for baked goods where adding liquid milk would render the product too thin. Powdered milk is also widely used in various sweets such as the Indian milk balls known as gulab jamun and a popular Indian sweet delicacy (sprinkled with desiccated coconut) known as chum chum (made with skim milk powder). Many no-cook recipes that use nut butters use powdered milk to prevent the nut butter from turning liquid by absorbing the oil.

Powdered milk is also a common item in UN food aid supplies, fallout shelters, warehouses, and wherever fresh milk is not a viable option. It is widely used in many developing countries because of reduced transport and storage costs (reduced bulk and weight, no refrigerated vehicles). Like other dry foods, it is considered nonperishable and is favored by survivalists, hikers, and others requiring nonperishable, easy-to-prepare food.

Because of its resemblance to cocaine and other drugs, powdered milk is sometimes used in filmmaking as a non-toxic prop that may be insufflated

[naturallygravitatedtolondon]

a little wooden boy: quick notes on OFMD and The Adventures of Pinocchio

Naturally I have not stopped thinking about the silly pirate show for a single second since having finished it and recently I have been especially fascinated by the way it incorporates storytelling and performance as such prominent themes and how that is used to explore identity. This show is good bread! Really good bread. Anyway, in my attempt to somewhat organize my thoughts on all that I decided to look into The Wooden Boy story a little more and OF COURSE stumbled upon an absolute treasure trove, what did I expect from these writers.

The Wooden Boy story we hear in the first episode is so good and works on so many levels just by itself: It is first introduced in the “do the wooden boy voice” scene (EXCELLENT) and then picked up again at the end of 1.01 with Stede reading the story as a bedtime story to his crew. That’s such a beautiful moment of community (god I love that scene) and gives us a really good sense of the characters. It establishes that despite the talk of mutiny earlier, the vibe for this crew is beautiful found family (I love them I love them I love them). And it introduces an interesting thing about literacy that I need to think about more. And just that very simple story we actually hear (though it is implied that Stede has read the entire thing to them) – a wooden boy who wanted to become a real boy – sets up some major themes of the show: 1) Stede and Ed both feel disappointed in their life, “treading water waiting to drown” etc, they feel like wooden puppets and want to feel fully alive again. And 2) of course this is also about masculinity and the question that comes up again and again: how to be a real boy/man? And the failure to live up to that toxic ideal and then the space that this in turn opens up for a variety of other ways of being a man! and the rejection of the very idea of “real men”. But that’s another post (such as this excellent one on masculinity in ofmd by @edwardsilkheart​ as well as this equally excellent one by @sitzfleischh​ on the queer art of failure).

So. I think it is pretty unambiguous that the wooden boy story is supposed to be 1883 Italian classic The Adventures of Pinocchio? There is an obvious timeline problem but I think by this point it is established that ofmd will not be constrained by the shackles of historical accuracy and is the better show for it so whatever. This did however make me think that there might be a more elaborate reason why the writers insisted on having the story of Pinocchio in their show about gay pirates despite the anachronism.

I looked up the plot summary of the Pinocchio story on Wikipedia because I was only very vaguely aware of the details of that story, though maybe other people are more familiar with it and got all the narrative links immediately  (Probably more people have seen the Disney movie than read the original novel but I can’t remember what exactly happens in the movie either so I can’t say how similar it is to the book). I did not, so I just experienced a long series of oh shiiiit moments while reading that Wikipedia article. Here is a list of all the things that immediately stood out:

First of all, the plot of this children’s story is WILD. Jeez.

At the beginning of the novel, Pinocchio meets a cricket which “warns him of the perils of disobedience and hedonism” and then Pinocchio “throws a hammer at the cricket, more accurately than he intended to, and accidentally kills it.” Reminds me of a thing that happens in the first episode of a certain pirate show..? ALSO the cricket then “ comes back as a ghost to continue advising the puppet” come oooooon

Pinocchio visits a theatre performance. This seems to be a minor plot point in the novel, but with the aforementioned focus on performance in ofmd, it’s worth mentioning.

The director of the theatre is a man called Mangiafuoco who has “red eyes and a black beard that reaches to the floor”. Wikipedia says that “despite his appearances however” this character “is not evil”. This is literally Blackbeard. And he is the director of a theatre! It's perfect.

There’s a cat and a fox character that pretend to be blind/lame and then later actually become what they pretended to be. (Jim??)

Pinocchio arranges a meeting with the cat and fox but the meeting does not happen because he is betrayed by them. Just stab me in the gut will you.

Pinocchio is hanged at one point but is rescued. I mean COME ON.

A NOTE ON THAT Pinocchio hangs from that tree for a looong time and is completely fine afterwards, it seems to me that he can’t really die from that because he is, you know, a puppet. Sorry to fuel the conspiracy @knowlesian​ but make that sentence about Stede Bonnet and swap out one letter in “puppet” (I am JOKING mostly but also am I??)

Pinocchio buries coins in the ground, like a little pirate

A “judge sentences Pinocchio to four months in prison for the crime of foolishness” that one made me laugh

there is an enormous snake with a smoking tail that attacks Pinocchio and then literally chokes and dies from laughing too hard at his fear and vulnerability. Honestly not entirely sure if/how this is relevant, but it reminds me of the two times antagonists (the British and especially Captain Badminton as well as the fancy party guests) are shown to laugh hysterically at our main characters and then die because of it…

Pinocchio’s father figure is swallowed by a giant sea monster (!)

(quick note here, I have been thinking about how the flashbacks emphasise Ed’s and Stede’s fathers and how both Ed and Stede are traumatised by abusive fathers and how that shapes them both in different significant ways. Ed’s father being physically abusive, Stede’s father being verbally abusive, which corresponds with the whole stinging with swords vs. with cutting remarks thing! And that ties in so well with the Pinocchio story! He is a boy who is literally carved and shaped by his father figure! Makes me think that we should talk more about Ed’s and Stede’s childhoods)

Pinocchio is disliked by other children at school

Pinocchio and a friend of his “go to a place called Toyland where everyone plays all day and never works” and “have a wonderful time for the next five months”, ummm?????

And then beyond those plot details, and I’m just directly quoting from Wikipedia here by the way, there is this:

“The structure of the story of Pinocchio follows that of the folk-tales of peasants who venture out into the world but are naively unprepared for what they find, and get into ridiculous situations” Yeah. I think that’s pretty crystal clear.

Also: “The Adventures of Pinocchio, is a work in which a hero experiences symbolic death and rebirth”, which now makes me want to think a lot more about death and rebirth in ofmd

And last but not least: “Although they are part of a comedy, Pinocchio's adventures are not always funny. Indeed, they are sometimes sinister. The book's fictive world does not exclude injury, pain, or even death”

In conclusion. The writers of this show put such a shit ton of thought into every stupid little detail. And this is literally just what I got from frantically skim reading a Wikipedia article, I’m sure there is so much more I missed or misread. But that is some insanely intricate foreshadowing, and it seems to me that they must have based parts of the story directly on the Pinocchio story/at the very least took lots of inspiration from that?

So yeah. This show. I just think it’s neat.

#this got quite long but I just kept finding stuff #also am I missing some obvious reason why you would link a fictionalisation of Stede Bonnet with the Pinocchio story? #or is it just that this matched super well thematically with the story they wanted to tell in ofmd #I have no deep analysis here just putting this neat little treat of intertextuality out there #ofmd #ofmd meta #our flag means death

[nitrosodiumofficialuses]

Toxic Waters Lite: Animation Ponderings

One thing I'm not massively looking forward to is animation. Drawing the same thing over and over again isn't exactly the best part of game dev, but I figured I should make a list of Nicolas' animations. When still, he stands up straight. When walking, he will stride in the direction, pumping his hands beside him. When firing, there is a single frame of him pointing his gun forward, with a muzzle flash. When jumping, he will raise his hands up and his legs off the ground. When entering deep water, an instant death scenario, a single frame of him wrapped in a tentacle will play, as he is dragged underwater and subsequently killed. There will not be any frames for collecting items, turning valves and pulling levers. Going through an evacuation flume, something that occurs near the end of the level, will be a fade to black and a teleport.

#character design #gamedev #toxic waters lite

[yourreddancer]

Add 1 word, ruin a band: from a FB post. I love clever people!

Sponge Bob Dylan 

Iron Deficiency Maiden

 The Dead Trumps 

 The neutered sex pistols

Nine Inch Acrylic Nails

Black Plague Sabbath

Grand Funk Railroad Disaster

Prince and the French Revolution

The Rolling Kidney Stones...

Scoobie Doobie Brothers

The Beached Boys

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Nickelback

Little Feat fungus.

Donnie’s Little Feat

The Beatles Infestation

Men at Work release

Fleetwood Big Mac

Pink Eye Floyd.

Rage against the vending machine

Baby Huey Lewis and the News.

Little toxic River Band

The Getaway Cars

Motley Crew-cuts

Water Guns n Roses

The Mamas and the Absentee Papas

Stone Temple Kamikaze Pilots

The Fallopian Tubes

The Heebie Bee Gees

Ratt Poison     Actually ruins 2 bands

Bruce Springsteen and the E Coli Street Band.

Pity The Foo Fighters

The Who Farted?

Def Mute Leppard.

Iron Maiden China

Easily Led Zeppelin

Fleetwood Mac and cheese

Dire Rhea Straits

The Electric Light Beer Orchestra

Used Cars

The Monkees Poop

Supertramp Stamp

The burrito Supremes

The Dung Beatles

Led poisoning zeppelin

The Who Dis?

The Velvet Elvis Underground

Led Paint Zeppelin

Jane’s Porn Addiction

Three Chili Dog Night....... which would precede The Guess Who farted

The Nacho Supremes

"Bruce Springsteen and the G-String Band".

Blink 182 Times

Depeche ala Mode

MC Arm & Hammer

Kiss and Tell

Black Bean Sabbath

The Steve Miller Lite Band.

Counting Crow’s Feet

[bigskydreaming]

Hi, I have questions about trigger warning terms, can you help? Grayson # 12 or any time a character is hit by their family, should it be tagged as domestic abuse or any other term? Also like in Grayson, those uncomfortable sexual situations are under sexual harassment right? Not assault, because that means something else? Sorry, it's not my first language and I need to put warnings before discussing comics, closest I can get the better. Honestly every comic could have abuse warnings.

I mean, there are no hard and fast rules, which is part of what complicates things here. Domestic abuse would work, certainly, but its not necessarily what I would go with as domestic violence just as often carries connotations or impressions of partner on partner violence rather than between siblings or parent and children....which, given the nature of a lot of ships in this fandom, IS something to consider, I believe.

Personally, I would go with something like “Sibling Abuse” or “Parent/Child Abuse” because the more specific the better and its like there’s no reason not to be. Also, it can only help matters to see terminology like that become more widespread and commonplace, to combat the instinctive pushback a lot of people have, like “siblings can’t abuse each other, that’s just fighting” - like, no. Sibling abuse is definitely a thing, and the more its just matter-of-factly used as a description where the description applies, the less easy it is for people to contest it, or even just overlook it entirely in their own writing.

Specifically, what makes Grayson #12 definitively an instance of abuse that should not have been written IMO, let alone validated by so many fans, is not simply Jason punching Dick. I mean, that’s not ideal, but some people are always gonna go well boys will be boys and sometimes brothers fight and blah blah blah. I mean, I have issues with all of those takes because lol toxic masculinity and also ‘sometimes brothers fight’ usually refers to like....aggressive amateur wrestling which is still not quite interchangeable with just hauling back and sucker punching your brother in the face. But whatever. Sticking to that example specifically, the thing that pushes it definitively into the abusive category is the fact that it was framed contextually by both the issue AND fandom as a kind of....penance. A just punishment. 

It was NOT brothers fighting, it was one brother taking out his hurt on the other in a way that definitively should NEVER be approved of in a family, and with the implicit EXPECTATION that he wasn’t going to have to defend himself from any follow-up attacks from Dick in response to what he did. It was clearly written as though Dick was just letting it happen and okay with it happening, that ‘he deserved it’ and its extremely upsetting that even people who push the idea of a kinder, happier, more functional Batfamily in fics and such still found justification for cheering Jason on in this moment. Punching your brother as punishment for upsetting you. That’s defensible....why?

And of course, I don’t say any of this to vilify Jason. I don’t hate his character for doing it, I hate that his character was written doing it in the first place. I hate that so many people see so little problem with him doing that they have him do it again and frequently in fanfic. Honestly, its just as damaging to Jason’s character, because hello, he’s an abuse survivor himself. 

People don’t seem to understand just how much male abuse survivors struggle with the stigma of it our whole lives, where the SECOND people find that out about us, we can often visibly SEE them regard us differently, take extra note of every single outburst of ours, treat us as though us snapping and actually harming someone else is an inevitability rather than a possibility, because we all grow up surrounded by nothing but narratives that spread the myth of all abuse victims eventually grow up to become abusers, its a vicious cycle. 

No, in reality, many of us work really fucking damn hard to never become the people who hurt us, to never do to others what was done to us. Just because we’re angry or frustrated or have a lot to vent about doesn’t mean we don’t know how to keep ourselves from actually doing harm to others, and that’s why its particularly grating how often people like to point to our anger as being somehow inherently different from their own, simply due to information we voluntarily offered up about ourselves.

And yes, this obviously has a lot to do with my fixation on Dick’s temper and how its regarded, but just as much with how matter-of-factly its treated that of course Jason is casually violent with his brothers and nobody thinks twice about it, that’s just how he IS. 

NO.

That’s how people are CHOOSING to write him, because of their own blindspots in regards to abuse and the many realities and nuances and dynamics of it. Abuse is just as damaging and carries just as much trauma and impact for abuse survivors as rape does for rape survivors, even when there is no crossover, but there is a very big tendency to just....not regard that as the case at all. 

And there’s a very big, very real disconnect between the way people write Jason with a focus on his childhood history with abuse and how that impacted him…..and then just…not connect this at all to writing him being casually violent even with loved ones and friends, as though…..its not like its treated as if its an inevitable extension, its more just like, people completely FORGET that aspect of him when writing him being casually physically violent as though this wouldn’t have any bearing on how he views his own actions and interactions with others in light of that, y’know? 

And everyone who writes him this way and doesn’t think twice about it because oh its just Jason, that’s just how he expresses himself, like, is doing a huge disservice to a lot of the very same stuff they unpack in their own stories about his history of childhood abuse when they DO focus on it. And that’s very…..bewildering, to be honest.

As to the second question about the sexual harassment scenes in Grayson, no, I think you have the right idea there. Think of it this way: sexual assault typically describes unwanted physicality, the other person forcing body-to-body contact in some way. Sexual harassment typically describes unwanted situations, the other person forcing you into scenarios or situations where you’re forced to put up with unwanted sexualization of yourself or others (usually the self though). So most of what happened in Grayson I personally would term sexual harassment rather than assault, but that doesn’t make it ‘better’ - there’s a tendency I think to view sexual harassment as being ‘sexual assault-lite’ and that’s like….no. 

I hate bringing any kind of ranking into it at all, but its not even that so much as its apples and oranges….they describe two entirely different scenarios, and sexual harassment can be plenty damaging in its own right, often due to its frequency of recurrence ‘making up’ for it not being as intensely damaging in a single situation as an instance of sexual assault, perhaps.

So for instance, in Grayson, all the times Dr. Netz like, was very implicitly depicted as groping him during his physicals and medical exams, especially during the times when on top of that, she was verbally objectifying him in narration that made it perfectly clear she knew exactly what she was doing and exactly how uncomfortable she was making him (also emphasized via the facial expressions he was drawn with)…like those were sexual harassment, no ifs, ands or buts. The harasser was taking advantage of a situation they knew Dick had no way of gracefully exiting and had to put up with and endure because its not like a spy agency likely had much in the way of an HR department that was open to listening to claims about this shit….and even if there were, his undercover op demanded he make as little waves as possible. 

Which even without Netz knowing that latter part….she still knew from the second she capitalized on his vulnerable position with him a) distinctly uncomfortable as a result and b) making no actual move to stop it (since there weren’t really any available to him)….like, the first time was ‘testing the waters’ kinda, and the second the harasser determined they could get away with it without consequence, it became a frequent, regular occurring thing, something both parties were more or less matter-of-fact about, though each instance only made the harasser bolder, and the victim, Dick, more resigned to his vulnerability in that position and even LESS likely to attempt to enforce personal boundaries or bodily autonomy, as they weren’t being respected as it was already.

I hope that makes those distinctions easier to conceptualize, and sorry for taking so long to get back to you on this!

[thorns-by-jupiters-witch]

How do you keep up with your craft during COVID? I used to have bimonthly meetings with other witches, but most of them are older and at-risk so we don’t meet at all anymore. They are the loveliest people ever, but they don’t want to try zoom or things of that likeness so I’ve had almost no contact at all. Not only that I’ve also just had other stuff going on and I can’t seem to prioritize my craft at all. I feel bad calling myself a witch, any tips?💗💗

Hmmm. This is sort of tough to answer since I don’t know what kind of craft you practice, but I suppose I could answer for general witchcraft tips? Also, keep in mind, I’m not all that active in practicing the craft all too much anymore, and when I did, I generally kept that part of my life private/didn’t post about it on social media.

It’s nice getting with a coven to practice with, and though I did that every once and awhile, I generally liked doing things on my own, since I didn’t always agree with everything everyone else was getting into. I am not Wiccan, and my practice has never really been religious, although it has been spiritual more than anything. Having said that, here are some meep tips???:

You can start by building/adding to an altar. If you have a tribute/diety/general universe type thing to pray or lend fferings to, you can do that daily if it might help you more spiritually. Personally, when I had an altar, I had the ~universe~ in mind more than anything, since my craft has always been more agnostic/ offering my energy to any good force out there that would take it, I suppose?? And since these types of things can be expensive, don’t rush to get a good altar going off the bat; it’s something you’re supposed to build on.

Learn what you specialize in and what you want to accomplish with your craft. I know a witch who’s more interested in self-love, so she collects rose quartz and makes rose sugar to add to her baked goods. That’s a craft in its one way. Or you might want to lean towards the divination parts of witchcraft and purchase a board or tarot cards to ask questions for yourself, or anyone else looking for guidance. Or you may be a green witch who likes to tend towards herbs and plants. You can add charged crystals to a plant pot while you water whatever needs to be fed.

Bathe your crystals in moonlight. Again, I don’t know what kind of craft you practice, but most witches I know have crystals. You can soak them in a bowl of water and leave them out during a full moon (or any phase of the moon depending on what your goal is. I know that if you are a theistic witch that may worship Hecate, you might prefer to bathe your crystasl during a new moon rather than a full one) and let them charge. Keep your charged crystal in a pocket, or around your neck to borrow their energy when they’re ready. Mercury is in retrograde or whatever rn, so you might want to carry around some amethyst to protect yourself from toxic thoughts or labradorite to protect you from irrational fears.

Cast a circle. Light some candles. Meditate. The best, most fulfilling part of my personal craft has been casting circles and praying (again, to the ~universe~, but you can do whatever the hell you want.) it’s so incredibly therapeutic to openly speak in a nice space where I feel comfortable and protected in my circle. I’m sure, if you’re a witch, you know how to cast a circle, but if not, it’s really easy! You can draw a circle around your meditative place with a wand (I use a selenite wand to cleanse the area), athame, crystal, or if you don’t have anything else, you can use your finger or a stick. You can choose whatever kinda candles you’ve got to lite, or nothing at all, if you prefer (or if you don’t have a place to light candles on the ground without it being a hazard.) I personally like to cast circles with three to four other people to have the elements represented, but you can do that all on your own too, just be sure to check which one ay is north or which way south before doing so. Once you’ve casted you’re circle, you can meditate, pray, talk out loud, or cast a spell. Really, it’s your free reign. There’s no wrong way to practice so long as you’re not appropriating any culture. When you finish your circle, make sure to close the circle by staging your wand/athame/finger/stick in the opposite direction you firs cast the circle.

Celebrate the holidays. I’m not Wiccan, so I don’t go too far on my own when it comes to Wiccan holidays; that’s actually when I do prefer to meet up with ither witches because then I’m celebrating with a community rather than it just being by myself. However, since we can’t really do that atm, you can find smaller things to do. For example, Mabon just passed, and I only lit a candle since I wouldn’t be able to go to a bonfire. Samhain is coming up, so maybe that would be a good time to practice your divination skills.

Get crafty. Save up for a book on charms and learn what you can build from there. Charms are a lot of fun, although, it’s not really something I’ve ever gotten into other when I was with other people, however, since you might have more time on your hands, now’s the time to start creating. I also know there’s tons of things on charms on tumblr and Pinterest. I always find that interesting, but I’ve always been hesitant to follow anything anyone has posted to heart since literally anybody could post anything on the internet, but I’m sure there are some genuine tips, tricks, and craft ideas from other witches who just want to share. But I’d warn you to be wary, and try to stay away from blogs and such who post their craft for popular gain. That shit ain’t cool. (BOOKS ARE KEY IDC IDC IDC)

This is the most my foggy brain could conjure up after work twkvuwbr. I hope it was a little bit helpful and you find fulfillment on your future craft!

#asks #anonymous #craft

[eroticcannibal]

What's recovery rhetoric? I think I have a basic understanding of it, but I feel like I'm missing the nuance of it, if that makes sense?

Ok I’ve learned my lesson, I’m typing this up in wordpad too and also I’m lazy so I’m cribbing from previous posts  (which I will link to in case anyone wants some further reading). Also it might not be necessary for u but I’m gonna cover basics in this in case any newer followers are curious.

So, SUPER short version, “recovery rhetoric” is the eugenics-lite way that recovery is discussed and pushed on mentally ill/mad/neurodiverse people. Recovery rhetoric is essentially the intra-community version of neurotypical ableism and their ultimate goal of eradicating neurodivergency. It’s an ultimately harmful attempt to try and assimilate into neurotypical society. Now I don’t think those that perpetuate it are intentionally malicious, I completely understand the desire to get better and be “normal”, but nonetheless the impact is ultimately harmful.

Things that are typical of recovery rhetoric:

Constantly changing redefinitions of “recovery”. Recovery means the problem is gone, which for most people is not possible, ever. Most people engaging in recovery rhetoric recognise this but rather than give up on recovery, which is demanded of all of us by ableist society, they attempt to redefine it, which creates a situation of one side telling a vulnerable person that “recovery is possible!”, which sets them up for the trauma of constant and inevitable failure for not living up to The Actual Definition Of Recovery, which will usually be internalised as a personal failing.

The insistence that their is One Way That Recovery Looks. To make this easier to discuss here I’m going to define this as “improvement” rather than “recovery”, but recovery rhetoric ignores the variety of people and their situations and experiences. The standard for improvement tends to be go to therapy, take your meds, “healthy” (read: respectable by ableist standards) coping mechanisms only etc etc which is inherently harmful for prioritising respectability over what is actually helpful for an individual.

One example would be the earlier discussion on my blog regarding addiction, the recovery rhetoric approach would frame replacement and even addiction itself as “unhealthy” coping mechanisms, therefore things that should be eradicated immediately regardless of the individuals situation. Their is no consideration for those who would be worse off in their current situations without their “bad” ways of coping. No consideration for those that respond differently to different things (insulting myself is FUN it doesn’t actually damage me, the same is true of others, please leave us be). Their is no consideration of the fact that “healthy” is subjective. Their is no consideration of the fact that for some “healthy” is UNACHIEVABLE. Their is no consideration of those who would be harmed by “respectable” methods of improvement, such as therapy or meds (abuse within mental health fields exists and is rampant). And this tends to breed a lack of compassion for those in worse situations than those who can just drink a glass of water and take their meds to feel better. It’s respectability or you aren’t trying hard enough and you just want to be ill. Because recognising that personal improvement is actually antithetical to the expectations of ableist society, those entrenched in recovery rhetoric will tear down anyone who is a threat to their viewpoint so they can hold on to the hope they will be “normal”.

(Also, I’ve just realised this parallels the CBT approach: removing a negative behavior results in the problem it is a response to being solved. Which is… not how things work but given how CBT has been pushed lately above all other forms of treatment due to low costs, to the point where some other treatments have been cut away completely, I’m… much less suprised by this aspect of recovery rhetoric. I’m copywriting this insight /j)

The idea that to be neurotypical and sane is the default, what we should all aim to be, and that existence outside of that is a deviation to be fixed no matter the cost. By God You Better Be A Productive Cog In The Machinery Of Capitalism Or You Have Failed. This links in a little with the previous point, in that what is considered “healthy” and “recovered” doesn’t always correlate with what is good for someone.

The pathologising of Every Damn Thing Even If It Is Harmless. Not texting back is because you are traumatised. Don’t do toooo much self care because that’s indulgence. Don’t trust people? It’s because you’re crazy, not because people have shown you can’t trust them. I could go on.

Coercive loss of autonomy through intra-community pressure. You are not allowed to be ok with being ill or mad. You are not allowed to disagree with professionals, you must submit to them and seek treatment from them. Recovery is not optional. Don’t you dare suggest there is nothing actually wrong with you. And of course listen to some random blogger who knows nothing about your life, they just want the best for you, you aren’t anti-recovery, are you?

The denial of outside factors in mental illness and madness. If you have a problem, it’s because of you, your brain, you have to fix it. Your recovery is down to you. Homeless? Abused? Can’t get medical treatment? RECOVER ANYWAY.

It leaves no space for those who have been harmed by recovery attempts and the mental health field. Certainly no space for those that have been killed by them.

(can u tell I’m getting lazy towards the end here? My hands hurt, sorry)

Recovery rhetoric may seem quite lovely on the surface, but the end result is a few uwu recovery drink-water-take-your-meds blogs feeling all morally superior because it’s easier for them, and a culture of attacking anyone who has life a bit harder.

MORE POSTS ON RECOVERY RHETORIC, PRO-RECOVERY CULTURE AND RELATED TOPICS )some are more serious, thought out posts like this, some are fairly casual exchanges of experiences)(check the notes, there’s some good additions)

[Example of the hostility towards those who cannot perform to the standards of pro-recovery culture]

[The value of “toxic” communities like pro-ana]

[Pathologising normal behaviors]

[What is recovery culture]

[A positive approach to personal improvement]

[The cost of recovery]

[Personal accounts of psychiatric abuse][Theres a ton more on my blog if u search “psych”]

[An alternative view on living with a weird brain, which I include mostly due to the hostility in the notes as an example of the behavior directed at anyone who does not perpetuate recovery rhetoric. IDK if the worst of it will show up in the notes cus a lot of people blocked me over that post lmao]

[Pathologising healthy behaviors]

[How recovery culture can cause a lack of trust in yourself]

[”What is recovery?” a perspective by a psychiatric survivor, I’d also recommend that whole site for anyone interested in anti-psych, recovery-critical and Mad perspectives]

[An alternative vision of treatment]

My blog is not the be all and end all of reading, I’m just not looking further lmao

#Anonymous #why did i write this much

[mamaneedsadrank]

Cow Jokes? Herd em’all.

Well hey there boys, girls, ladies and gents and all things in between!

I realize it’s been a smidgen over a week since I last posted, but I promise I have all the reason. Lettuce back up a smidge:

* I cannot promise this will be my last shitty pun/joke for today*

SO. 

My last post I told you I was going to start bring you some Musical Magical  Eargasms.  I had posted my bloggity on all my social media platforms, and tagged The Spill Canvas. They liked my tweet! (Woah, fangirling hard!) and 2 new bands I had never heard of started following me. Of course me being the curious musical junkie I am I had to take a listen.

Shall I back my freak train up even further?

Lettuce take you back to the time of Smashmouth, The Bloodhound gang, and  of course some Jamiroquai Virtual insanity. 

As a wee child I have always loved music. Being a musical mistress doesn’t mean I sing, nor does it mean I play an instrument. If I were to sing, everyone would want to put in ear plugs, dive under water and start up a chainsaw.  This is the safest way to attempt listening to the horrific sounds of my singing straight up Mermaid Style.  So in fact, I didn’t want to be a singer, nor part of the band ( except when I was 8 and wanted to be drummer). 

I was and still am to this day a professional listener. HOW the hell can I call myself a professional? Well I can’t. I can make up any title I feel, let’s be honest, but this is the best way to describe the passion that burns in my body.  

When I listen to a song, it’s not on to fill the silence in the air. I listen to feel that shit in my soul. I listen to hear the gratifying guitar, the broad bellowing sounds of the bass, and of course the dynamic drums, being pounded with precision and perfection. I then listen to the lyrics. I recite them, tasting each syllable of every word. Lyrics are used to express emotions, or tell a story. 

With that being said drinking pallies, I have this fun treat for you! 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6ECR90Q91bn8Apy2zZtYls?si=3bnXYseEQAKmTqJMRmOj5g

Click that link!  (I promise it isn’t erotic, nor are you going to get  a virus. I also am not having you click on something to extend the warranty of your current vehicle!)

This is where the Eargasms can be heard!  Now, if you are scared to click on the link- go to Spotify.com and Search: Maiden of Musical Mixes. And Wham, Bam- You’re Welcome from The Sam. 

That being said friends, lettuce get to the pick of the week.

**Cracks open a Coors Lite**

“Refreshing, Crisp, Satisfying, and leaves you Wanting more,” 

This is not only how I feel about Coors Light, but about the band I had the pleasure of messaging:

Atoms to Ashes with the featuring song, Not Gonna Break!

Drinking Frans, these fellas do not disappoint!  

Atoms to Ashes started back in 2013 and are from our fave neighboring country of Canada Eh. They have a killer rock sound that has reminds me of 10 years with a nice mix of Blackstone Cherry. The song Not Gonna Break gives you that sense of empowerment. It makes you want to kick some ass, take names, and let out your inner badass. 

As a WOah-man, human, and just listener, this song is a reminder to stand your fucking ground, and take control of your own life. 

I asked these fine fellas my burning question of:  

“So, was there a specific incident that inspired this track? Scorned lovers, bad bosses, the whole 2020 life experience? (Mind you this track came out in 2017, and I am trying to be funny and me explaining that makes it alllllllllllllll so much less funny).

ATA Response: “It was inspired by one specific person in particular, but can easily be related back to certain toxic relationships that we either have or  have or gather in our lives and just one day say, “I’VE HAD ENOUGH!”

I love that! 

Now, grab your fave bev, (if its Aunt Bev, grab that broad too!), sink into a comfortable position (ehyo - oops, no erotica!), and turn on some Atoms to Ashes.

Or don’t :)  You do you, and keep being your badass self.

Until next time, 

I am THE Sam 

#atoms to ashes #music blog #new music #bands #listen #rock music #professional listener

[medea10]

Medea Plays Pokemon Sword (&Shield): Part VI

Okay, it’s been several months since my last update with Sword & Shield.

Mostly because as soon as you finish the main story and the side-quest with Tweedle Dick and Tweedle Balls, what else is there? Just fill up the Pokedex and have a go at the Battle Tower.

I just took some time to go through the Shield game (since Sword is kinda my main game this time around).

I would just like to say, Allister is the cutest little fella.

Maybe it’s because of the episode of Pokemon Twilight Wings that just aired a few hours ago here, but Allister is such a sweetie.

And of course we have Thick-Chick Mama, Melony.

I knew going through her gym was going to be a pain in the rectum, just like Gordie’s. I was right. Her gym is on par with Wallace’s gym in Ruby & Sapphire.

But thanks to some Youtube videos, I managed to avoid falling through the ice pitfalls.

Sorry, she set me up for this joke.

Then in January, we got a taste of what to look forward to when the Isle of Armor expansion hit.

Like catching the odd-looking Slowpoke and meeting new rivals like Klara and Avery.

And I could tell then and there that Klara was one of those psycho, pink-haired bitches and Avery was Robert’s psychic cousin. Will that theory let up once the expansion hit? Let me think about that while I chow down on some Slowpoke Tail curry.

Itadakimasu!

Then a month passed and we were introduced to Pokemon HOME and Professor Oak’s other relative from some weird timeline where Macho Man Randy Savage and Jiraiya did the fusion dance and merged into the Grand Oak here.

A place where you can transfer all the pokemon you’ve caught throughout the years and STILL not transfer them to Sword and Shield.

And then Animal Crossing came out and we forgot about Pokemon’s existence.

Three months later and here we are!

At your arrival, you get an update to your Pokedex.

Don’t get too excited. We get SOME old pokemon added. Not all. Just some.

It’s nice that pokemon like Poliwag and Bulbasaur aren’t illegal in Galar anymore. But um...Ampharos? Dragonite? FRIGGIN’ BLAZIKEN?!

Whatever, take your time, dudes!

After the upgrade, you are met by Klara (in Sword). In a mistaken identity story line, she mistakes you for some other wank for joining the dojo nearby.

You battle her (or Avery in Shield). You wallop her.

OH, YUP! YUP! Look at that! Crazy bitch alert!

Anyways, this rival will try by any means to keep you away from the dojo by enticing you with a style card (which gives you exclusive hairdos and clothes).

But because I like to move this story along, I’m gonna go to the dojo.

Up yours, skank.

The dojo is headed up by an old fella named Mustard. And you’re met up with Mustard’s dotting wife...

I am not kidding.

His wife is named Honey.

And she’s a MILF.

Like I give a fuck about you, Yuno Gasai-Lite. Sheesh, maybe Avery isn’t this much of a cunt like Klara.

Oh, go shove a bent spoon up your ass, you watered-down looking Alucard, mother fucker.

Oh and if you’re wondering, I actually hate Bede, Sordward and Shielbert more than these two. I just feel like being mean since Tweedle Dick and Tweedle Balls aren’t around for me to poke fun at anymore.

Once inside, you’ll meet the master of the dojo, Mustard. He gives you a uniform and then we get down to the three tasks.

Task one:

Catch three speedy Slowpokes.

They took Avery/Klara’s dojo uniform and it’s up to you to catch them.

Just don’t expect a thank you from the Slutty Succubus of the South.

Task Two:

Find the Max Mushrooms.

These babies are the key to unlocking certain pokemon’s potential in Dynamaxing. So in case you keep getting your ass kicked by these special pokemon at raid dens, here’s your chance at getting the Gigantamax pokemon.

So after going through this twisted forest and nearly going insane by getting lost, I’m not about to have this little tramp steal my findings.

After you beat Klara/Avery in a battle again, you get the Max Mushrooms. But they come back with the mushrooms too and insist on cooking them instead of the ones you found.

For once, you did me a favor. I can use this for my Cinderace.

Task Three:

Fight Klara/Avery.

Now this might be a little tricky. Because at the beginning of the battle, Klara and Avery do something sneaky.

Before you could start, Klara sets up Toxic Spikes, causing immediate poisoning for your pokemon. At least Avery only had mist surrounding the battlefield. This bitch intentionally poisons your pokemon.

Just use a Steel type when going up against Klara.

After these three tasks, you get the secret armor of the dojo.

Kubfu.

You will get a Kubfu from Mustard. But that’s not all folks!

While you’re on the Isle, you are now able to have the first pokemon on your roster walk around with you.

Good that you bond with the Kubfu before you go to the next part. Also, all of those XP candies you earn in Max Raid Dens are going to be your best friend.

Okay, time to do what I love to do in Pokemon games.

FUCK YEAH! MISSY GETS TO TRAVEL BESIDE ME!

Anyways, once you bond with Kubfu and you’re the best of friends and train Kubfu to a decent level, then it’s time to take on the Tower of Water or Tower of Darkness.

You can only choose one. If you choose water, Kubfu will evolve into a part water type. And if you choose darkness, Kubfu will evolve into a part dark type. And the tower you do not choose will be closed off to you forever.

You’ll fight a few trainers with one pokemon each. Suggestion is to have your Kubfu past level 70 and know moves like Aerial Ace, Zen Headbutt, and/or Thunderpunch.

At the top of the tower, you are challenged by Mustard. And once you defeat him, you can evolve Kubfu.

By staring at a wall scroll.

I’ve seen stranger ways of evolving a pokemon. I’ll just sit back and accept it for what it is.

After this part, there’s a baby side-quest you have to go through in order to have this fella take part in the Dynamax process.

Apparently, this pokemon is picky about his food. But some Max Honey will make the Max Mushroom soup taste pleasant.

And that’s when Hau 2.0 comes in! And once again, we go through a three-tasked mission in order to get some Max Honey.

Task One:

Reunite a mother Lilligant with it’s baby Petlil.

Back to that twisted-ass forest again.

Some friendly advice, don’t use your bike to get back to Hop when you find Lilligant. Lilligant will get lost and just go back to where it originally was. Just walk.

Task Two:

Chase an Applin.

Task Three:

Go to the special tree.

Hop will tell you to shake it to get the attention of a Vespiquen.

...

ARE YOU FUCKING INSANE HOP?! It is 2020, the worst year on the record. I am not about to be stung by Pokemon’s answer to the fucking murder hornet. And what do I do next?

I shake it like a Polaroid picture.

So I’ve chosen death.

*snorts*

No you didn’t, Pokemon.

You didn’t do this!

-___-

I can’t EVEN...

Anyways, you’re taken to a Max Raid den and you take out a Vespiquen.

Fuck you Hop. Just fuck you.

Now that those three tasks are taken care of, you can feed your picky pokemon some Max Mushroom Soup. And now you can battle Mustard in a six-on-six.

After winning...

Can I please shove her off a cliff?

I know, I shouldn’t be mean to Klara and Avery. But I am. Klara tried to be a pop sensation and only sold 8 copies of her CD. And Avery is the outcast of his family with the least psychic energy. So maybe I’ll cut them both some slack.

I’m just not over Klara poisoning us at the beginning of the match with absolutely no warning.

And that’s the end of that story line.

But there’s still plenty to do around the Isle of Armor.

Catch pokemon for the updated pokedex.

Catch an actual level 80 wild pokemon!

No joke, friggin’ Wailord is level 80.

Also look out for Sharpedo in the water. They’re so fast that you won’t finish the Jaws music score fast enough before Sharpedo bites you in the ass.

Help this fool find his 151 Digletts.

At least he gives you gift pokemon for your hard work.

Like Alolan Meowth, Alolan Raichu, etc.

Combine four items to get a special item or pokeball.

So this nightmare fuel takes four items and can combine them into a pokeball, a TR, or a special item (depending on which four items you use to combine). And now that Apricorns are back, you can use them to make those special pokeballs you’ve been only able to get one up to this point.

Help the MILF around.

Welcome to the daunting task of getting Watts. Honey will not be fulfilled until she gets her hands on at least 2,000,000+ watts. Yes, I said that. But it’s to help put special things around the dojo like vending machines, a hair stylist, food for the fridge, and other essentials. But then there are other incentives you get for helping Honey out including battling with Honey and getting rare league cards.

Best method of gaining watts, find Digger Pa and Digger Ma. The digging brothers have parents. Pa digs for watts as long as you give him special ores. And Ma finds the ores (as long as her stupid shovel doesn’t crap out).

Now was buying the expansion package to Sword and Shield worth it? I don’t want to be premature in my thoughts since the second part of the expansion package isn’t out yet. So I’ll save it for later. This has been a fun side-story and it’s been able to take my attention away from Animal Crossing for just a little while. I know there will always be special events with Max Raids. I just hope we can add more pokemon from the National Dex when we can go to the Tundra later this year.

But if you’re one of those folks that’s National Dex or bust, maybe wait off on purchasing the package until we get more info about Tundra.

Okay, see you in a few months!

#pokemon #pokemon sword #pokemon shield #isle of armor #kubfu #mustard #honey #klara #avery