Nep Heart

 Technically IKEMEN, but thought it would be nice to post the online matches I had with extravagant from last night. It's pretty fun testing my own creations online, which is definitely a change of pace compared to vs AI matches. Kinda laggy early on, but that mitigates toward mid-way and onward in the video.

About time I did this.

 Major updates for the Touhou cast and a minor updates for a few other characters. Also updated everyone else due to a custom state liedown bug that has eluded my notice until recently.

 When I do finish Reisen's update (who is undergoing more balance changes), that's when I'll finally be releasing Reimu. Sorry for the delay, haven't been in the mood the last few months to make these finishes, although I should pick back up later this year.

All Generation 1 Characters:

- Corrected custom liedown bug.
- Reduced number of normals that can be jump canceled on block.

All Touhou Project Characters (except Reisen):

- Added new match lose pose.
- Added match win dialogue screen.

Hieda no Akyuu:

- Completely overhauled character.

Homura Akemi:

- Adjusted damage scaling.

Akari Ichijou:

- Reduced overall damage for clone.
- Cannot use Tenma Sukima while portals are still active.

Neptune:

- Adjusted damage for all supers except HDD: Purple Heart.

Youmu Konpaku:

- Added new match lose pose.
- Added match win dialogue screen.
- 200 Yojana in One Slash can now penetrate most melee counters.
- Adjusted damage for nearly every attack.
- Lotus Stance Cut crosses more distance.
- Added new winpose and adjusted one of her intros.

Fan art of my ghost girl OC, Mingxia, courtesy of GYRAX.

 One of the more prominent types of technology in my setting since the story mostly follows high level magicians anyway.

Quote

 

Metaphorical Item: High-end magical tools of metafictional nature in the form of pure abstractions representing a figurative idea. This kind of symbolic construct applies a rhetorical correlation in accordance to its phrasing. A metaphorical item is constructed from pure thought, putting those notions together to create a figure of speech so powerful that they thoroughly influence and even rewrite Creation fundamentally.

 An example of a metaphorical item would be the idea of a 'tonfa-gun'; it is a symbolic weapon a magician must think about, they must imagine themselves wielding an analogy used to represent both 'tonfa' and 'gun.' A magician applying some abilities of this specific thought-weapon would be thinking about themselves 'swinging' with or 'shooting' from the very word picture that means 'tonfa-gun.' This leads to them having to imagine committing a tonfa strike or shooting bullets that are not really there, yet can have literal effects. In addition, this metaphorical tonfa-gun can force the meaning behind its primary metaphor upon meaning itself (i.e.: the concept of justice has been 'struck" or 'shot' down, damaging credibility behind social laws for equity).

 

Rakurai's E-Nagamori. That thing brings me hell even when I use characters I've made myself. Not to mention, she's apparently 2nd division at SpriteClub, so, you know what kind of stuff you'd expect from that kind of opponent 

Quote

 

Misunderstanding

 

"..."

 

 Hesitance and silence that met the kitsune girl were the only signs that she needed; to her, it was clear that the specter's mind was muddled in confusion and dismay.

 

 "Just who are you and why come here of all places?" demanded Mingxia, her eyes piercing with that of her adversary. "I'm not going to let you pass just like that!"

 

 Folding her arms, Higanbana glared right back at the kind of welcoming she didn't ask for.

 

 "C'mon, weren't you the one who sent out that signal?" the kitsune replied, returning an equal amount of aggression. "Perhaps there are other things dead about you..."

 

 The ghost girl's face wrinkled, her lips and eyebrows in particular were furrowing in as those words hit her right in the heart, piecing them together as rather a shameless insult.

 

"Shut up! Only an idiot like you would intrude in a dangerous place like this without giving me a heads up!"

 

"Yeah, okay, but an idiot would also not inform the search party of who called them here to begin with either. Right?"

 

 "Perhaps we're both idiots, but I don't care anymore about trivial technicalities like these. Anyway... I'm the guardian of these ruins here and I'm indeed the one who call..." the ghost girl halted in the tracks of her own speech when the realization struck her, letting out a gasp where her tune change. "Wait... party? So, those people I defeated back there were with you?"

 

 Higanbana didn't let out a word, letting a smugly smile do the answering.

 

 "I'm sorry about this misunderstanding, I'll admit that I let my desperation get the best of me there. So, now what?"

 

 "We go find them and group together, we're here to set you free from that curse! We've researched into a ritual that'll do the job and even have a source that may lead to the maker."

 

 "Yo-you... really..."

 

 Teardrops puddled the floor below, and before she knew it, Higanbana witnessed Mingxia collapsing onto all fours, concealing her face as her head hung down. A hiccup or two slipped out, sniffling as if she had found salvation; this was the miracle she yearned for the longest time. The kitsune did what she thought was right and knelt next to the ghost, slipping both arms around the little girl from behind and tightened a hold on her. Hugging tightly, Higanbana caressed her spectral head in attempt to bring comfort.

 

 "You were never this happy for the longest time, huh? Things are going to change. Now... are you ready?"

 

 Mingxia lifted her head as her eyes met with the kitsune, shaking to affirm the offer.

 

 "... Y... y-yes, I am. We're gonna bring back everything and make that demon pay for all the suffering he's inflicted upon me and my people!"

 

 The two shone a smile at each other, an expression of mutuality for a common cause as a new partnership formed. Wasting not another instant, Higanbana helped Mingxia up onto her feet again as the two stood together now looking ahead.

 

 "C'mon, let's go!"

 

 Main purpose of this thread is to jot down some fictional writing experiments to help me practice with writing my own fictional setting, even if it means writing up things that do not belong to me.

Quote

 

Vanity

 

 The agent and her closest partner were being loomed upon by otherworldly titans, yet they weren't as incomprehensibly horrifying and twisted as most in their encounters. Gentlemen and ladies in fine suits and dresses bore their smugness on the smaller humans, this all reeked horribly of excess extravagance. The woman couldn't help admit that she was actually frozen from fear just being graced by the very presence of these people for as their power matched their vanity; why either one of them could simply wipe all evidence of the duo from space and time with but a mere thought.

 

 Yet, these giants were content on toying with the two just to inflate their own egos like bullies at a play yard.

 

 "Hmph, who are these measly transients dwelling in such a trivial realm?" scoffed the male giant who carried himself with a suave voice that matched his luxurious appearance. "What makes you believe you're worthy of our splendor?"

 

 "Listen here, I believe this is all a misunderstanding," utter Robinson as he tried to retain composure the best he can, bottling in his inner fear of what he's being confronted with. "We've come here by accident in a mission to conduct our investigations, so, allow us to make our way. There is no place for petty insults here."

 

 These people thoroughly disgust me. Is this what humanity will eventually transcend into; exiting causality to enter Vanity, trivial banter, complacency and getting drunk on power. No... humans like us know better, we've came this far and we'll never descend into something like... them. They have to be the biggest narcissists in the entire Universe and this is saying it all while meeting Father Time and Mother Nature themselves!
 

 Unfortunately, various members of the Admiration Association shot glares at the two agents, especially towards Diantha as a few picked up on her thought traces. Then, they all erupted in laughter, making a mockery of the lesser humans.

 

 "Hah, these charming little children..." begin a snark-filled snort by a fur-coated woman in a ball gown with alluring red, holding a face of amusement and scorn towards the two humans. "Are they trying to lecture us? How cute!"

 

 "Is that so?" followed the Homo Aeternus man from before in his own prideful snark. "My, I suppose you'll have us reconsider our so-called 'crime,' right? You'll be having us grovel at your knees begging for mercy. So scary! Know your place, infantile insects! Scram back to your nests!"

 

 Another explosion of insulting howls filled the space to take more shots at Diantha and Robinson... who were both clearly taken by frustration of this awkward ordeal.

 

 Capsizing.

 What's this? An actual human OC of my own making being sketched by me? Here's Diantha Floros, a super secret agent of a paranormal investigation organization that is part of the S.U.I., a civilization colonizing the Multiverse (and they're merely low tier in setting!). Also, totally not a Sonic Screwdriver.

 Some would say it's kinda jarring on how normal she looks compared to my more mythological characters.

 Who here wants an absolutely ripped ghost guardian with dual tonfa-guns?

Another art trade, this time with @-Whiplash-. I draw his gamer girl alien OC, N'dya.

 Clock grill.

 I originally planned to mass update on Reimu's release, but it's probably better to get these bug fixes and balance changes out of the way sooner. However, I'll exclude the Touhou characters from this update since I still need to finish their win screens.

All Generation 1 characters (except Touhou Project):

- All non-attack based supers now lock power gain while active.
- Revised Dash Bonus.

All Eternal Fighter Zero characters:

- Reinforce damage bonus max reduced from 10% down to %5.

Hotaru Futaba:

- Corrected cornerpush bug.

Mai Kawasumi:

- Revised Manipulation of Power - Blitz; now made into a triple cluster of fireballs.

Miyako Arima:

- Corrected hit detection issues for helpers.
- Revised method for super armor.

Akari Ichijou:

- Adjusted damage for all non-EX versions of Shikigami Tenku.
- Adjusted the function of Power and Defense tags' status effects slightly.
- Portals now disappear when Akari is hit.
- Tweaked AI to account for aforementioned power lock.

Neptune:

- Tweaked AI to account for aforementioned power lock.

Kano Kirishima:

- Corrected Aria HUD sometimes omitting level blocks at full charge.

Fixed a serious bug in the combo system while tweaking the gravity mechanic.

All Generation 2 characters:

- Corrected bug in juggle gravity sometimes not resetting correctly.

 Scorching summer fun with two twintailed short stacks.

 GYRAX decided to take a crack at Aya. Making her pen into a bo staff was a very neat touch.

 So, averaging out the results from both forums, Hakurei Miko won with an average of 12.8275 over Yukina's 11.795. May start the actual project towards the end of the year or somewhere early next year for I am pretty much on break from any WIPs asides from the Reimu one that I need to finish.

I do my part in an art trade with GYRAX. I also draw someone else's OC for once, this one being a magical girl named Emilie.

Same friend, yet again, did another sketch for my OC, Li.

Same friend sketched another of my OCs, this time Li.

All Generation 2 characters:

- Adjusted juggle gravity timer.
- Adjusted Max Drive Mode timer.
- Tweaked AI to account for system adjustments.

Lilith:

- Corrected bug where Lilith would freeze in place if Hyper Face Bomber retains no target on hit.

Here's Siya, an imaginary friend, house guest and spy who takes glee in trolling.

 Red vs Red