art and sapphics

if she doesnt text me back 2nite im fucking end it all

two-hands Follow

okaaaaaaaaaaaay

I remember my first time entering Flying Waters and fighting the Démineur, because there was something so childlike about their design that made me feel awful killing them. Felt absolutely foul doing that to them. After entering ACT 3 I realised they remind me very vividly of Alicia herself.

The Démineur are, as far as I can tell, entirely silent enemies with no vocalisation. Even the white version stays quiet, where other white nevrons generally have dialogue. They're also the helmet, which looks like a single eye staring back at you when viewed from the front -- a reoccurring visual motif throughout the game, calling back to Alicia’s remaining eye. You can also argue they're very ghost-like, with their floating bodies and long strands of kelp, which are emphasised further by the white nevron's pale colouring. I initially didn't know what to think of that aspect because I got used to her being called "little shadow", but Renoir in ACT 3 does actually call Alicia "a living ghost", so I guess it still fits quiet well.

Where it gets really fun for me, however, is when you look at the contrasting elements of its overall presentation. On one hand this is a monster holding a literal mine with specks of rust all over, but it's also very reminiscent of a child holding a balloon, further emphasised by its relatively small physical size. But it's resemblance to a child doesn't make it any less dangerous, though the mine will curiously present danger not only to the Expedition, but to the Démineur and its allies as well. Any strategy guide is going to tell you to destroy the mine as your first action, because that’s the Démineur’s weak point, and the following explosion will deal considerable fire damage to it and its allies standing directly beside it. I think when you consider Alicia's role in the fire and its attribution to her naivety (a quality frequently associated with children and childishness), there is definitely a parallel here with the destruction this childlike quality can cause when taken advantage of.

expedition 33 sapphic vampire au where Clea is a powerful ancient vampire, Lune is Clea's 500-year-old trusty right-hand, and Sciel is a human bartender who got insane game 🤭💖🩸

scielune WIP for the soul ❤️‍🩹